The first novel of the Rougon-Macquart cycle introduces the family whose branches Zola follows through the Second Empire. It is set in the small southern town of Plassans around the time of Napoleon III's coup in 1851. The ambitious Rougons scheme to profit from the political upheaval, while the poorer Macquarts and idealistic young republicans are caught up in events. A tender young love story runs through the political turmoil. The book sets out Zola's interest in heredity, ambition and social change.