A woman navigates the precarious social and economic landscape of the 18th century by trading her virtue for survival and eventual prosperity. The protagonist, Roxana, recounts her life as a mistress to powerful men, driven by a desire for financial security and social elevation. Her narrative is constrained by the rigid gender roles and moral expectations of her era, which she attempts to subvert through calculated seduction and the accumulation of wealth. The story unfolds as a first-person confession, revealing the internal conflict between her pursuit of independence and the persistent threat of her past catching up to her.

Readers and critics frequently identify this work as one of the most complex and psychologically dense novels in the author's bibliography. Discussion often centers on the narrator's unreliable nature and the stark, unvarnished portrayal of her moral compromises. Many observers highlight the effectiveness of the atmosphere, which captures the tension between the protagonist's material success and her underlying existential dread. Scholars often note that the text serves as a sharp critique of the limited options available to women during the period. The narrative pacing is often described as deliberate, allowing for a thorough examination of the protagonist's shifting motivations and the eventual unraveling of her carefully constructed life.