Christina Goering, eccentric and adventurous, meets the anxious but equally enterprising Mrs. Copperfield at a party. Two serious ladies who wish to live outside of themselves, they embark on a quest for salvation. Mrs. Copperfield visits Panama with her husband, finding solace among the women who live and work in its brothels, while Miss Goering engages with various men. At the end, the two women meet again, each transformed by her experiences.

Mysterious, profound, anarchic, and very funny, Two Serious Ladies is a daring, original work that defies analysis.