Only they know what happens behind closed doors.

1879. Mariam Edez Adelaida Leventon is born in Yalta, Crimea. She will go on to become Alla Nazimova, celebrated film star and “founding mother of Sapphic Hollywood”.

Abandoned by her mother, abused by her father and supporting herself through prostitution, Alla turns to acting as an escape from her brutal and turbulent reality. By 1917, she is the highest paid actress in Hollywood.

When Maybelle Crabtree, a God-fearing farm girl from Kentucky, has a chance encounter with a charismatic stranger, her life changes forever. With an invitation to join Alla’s ‘Sewing Circle’, Maybelle’s eyes are opened to a life of decadence and glamour. Discovering her own sexuality, she embraces all that Hollywood has to offer in the hedonist roaring twenties.

But both Alla and Maybelle have secrets that threaten to bring their gilded lives crashing down. Hearts are broken, careers destroyed and friendships shattered, in this compelling story inspired by the scandalous real life of silent movie icon, Alla Nazimova.