After surrendering at Appomattox Court House in Virginia at the end of the American Civil War, two Confederate soldiers wander off and join Florian’s Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders, a traveling circus that has managed to continue performing throughout the war.

Published in 1987, it follows a circus troupe known as "Florian's Flourishing Florilegium of Wonders" from the Confederate surrender at Appomattox to Europe, ending in France during the Franco-Prussian War.

The book chronicles the rise of the troupe from a small "mud show" with few acts to the glittering toast of Paris, while delving into the evolving personal lives of its performers.

The book is also an examination of the social structures of both post-Civil War America and Europe during a period in which the ancient system of monarchy was toppling.

The main protagonist, other than the circus itself, is Zachary Edge, a former Confederate colonel embittered by war who accepts a position as the Florilegium's equestrian director.