John Chatters, a poor farm labourer, travels to London to seek a better life. His daughter, Kate, finds fame as a music hall entertainer, abandoning her father to the workhouse. Her daughter, Lily Knight, marries Jack Selbini and they form the Selbini Troupe of cyclists who go on to achieve worldwide success. Their daughter, Lalla Selbini, also enters show business and she becomes even more famous. She receives notoriety as a risque vaudeville performer and she later becomes a magician, taking over the company from The Great Lafayette. In addition to Kate, Jack and Lily Selbini, and Lalla, details are also given of the lives of Kate's other children and of the lives of Jack and Lily Selbini's other children. The book also covers the lives of other artistes who have been involved with the family. It gives partial biographies of Frank and Annie Chatters, Henry Flowerday, Frank Elton (Lorenzi), Archie Royer, Willy Pantzer, the Great Lafayette, Bert Nagle, and William Prati (Selbini).