First, meet the Flannery family.

Meghan Flannery is the eldest Flannery twin by about ninety seconds. Blessed with the gift of persuasion and a forever-young face, Meg is used to getting what she wants. To her father's frustration, despite these skills, she has no interest in politics, and happily disassociates herself from her family when the campaigns bore her. But when left to her own devices, she has a knack for finding trouble.

Dennis Flannery, the younger Flannery twin, is a midly autistic data genius. Dennis is driven by his obsessions: with numbers, with palindromes, with the meaning behind dates and years. But he is helpless at dealing with the trulty complicated things, such as personal relationships. He's obsessed with Indian women, though they rarely return his interest. Dennis never questions the life he inherits as a political operative -- even though it's clear that he's no candidate. He never questions his sister's motives -- even when it turns out he was the fall guy the whole time.

Eugene Flannery is the patriarch of the family. In the eyes of his grandchildren, he is a mythical figure, appearing to them in dreams and asides, offering wisdom that never fails to hit the mark. To his loyalists in the Radical Party, he's almost a god. As a political orator, he's brilliant. But as a father, he's distant. By the 37 Days,

Sean Flannery is the son of Eugene and the father of the twins. As the son of the great Eugene Flannery, he is born with the burden of fantastical expectations. Although Sean is every bit as smart as his father, he lacks Eugene's limitless drive and discipline. Like his daughter, Sean rebels. In an act of spite, he enlists in the army and goes to Vietnam, where he puts down his weapon and deserts, ending up at a casino in Cambodia. Due to his political connections, he suffers no consequences to this act -- but it begins a ripple that will have devastating effects on his family decades later.

Abigail Flannery is the twins' mother and Sean's ex-wife. A diagnosed sufferer of obsessive-compulsive disorder, she tends to suffocate her children, especially her daughter, with whom she has an antagonistic relationship. Today, she is the only person in regular contact with both the incarcerated Dennis and the reclusive Meghan -- and she represents perhaps the only hope the family has of a reunion.

Now, meet some of the political lackeys and weirdos that surround the Flannerys.

Dr. James "Jimmy" Birch is a Flannery family friend who is involved in Radical Party politics in Florida. Jimmy is the owner and operator of a sperm bank in Florida which serves as a front for his own unusual political dealings, including an odd group of misfits called the "Thought Kings." He meets Meghan Flannery at a Party meeting in Florida, and they begin a romantic relationship. Surprise, surprise -- Jimmy has something Meg wants.

Jimmy is married to Sabra Birch, the Secretary of State for the State of Florida. This means that Sabra is in charge of elections for the state. She's an aspiring politician with the ambitions and skills to attain higher offices. And it's through her office that Jimmy -- and, by extension, Meg -- has access to the state's voter rolls. The recount poses a direct threat to her political ambitions. And, needless to say, she isn't too thrilled when she finds out her husband's lover is involved.

Claude Faringhold, an oddball hanger-on of the Radical Party who moonlights as an historian, and claims to be the world's foremost expert on President Rutherford B. Hayes. After he falls in love with Meghan (a common theme, you may notice) he falls under her sway and agrees to a radical transformation. By the time we meet him again, he is a brand new man -- and a man whose new position happens to be of extreme value to Meg.

While on the run in New Jersey, Meghan Flannery gets entangled with a few people she would rather forget.

Greg Zuckerman, the owner of a chain of stores called Z-Mart, who briefly employs Meg. Meg quits in a huff, and Greg soon realizes that she stole thousands of dollars of Z-Bucks, a store-issued currency. You don't build an empire by getting taken advantage of.

Barney, Meg's dorky coworker at Z-Mart. An obsessive video gamer, Barney has a crush on Meg, but is spurned. Under the thumb of Greg, his boss, Barney is motivated to settle the score.

Denise, Meg's roommate, with whom she engages in a series of larcenies. She and Meg become close friends. Denise likes Meg. But does Denise like her enough to stay loyal when her own freedom is at stake?

Dora Henry, a bourgeoise wine-sipping housewife who Meg is tasked to perform surveillance on in her brief employment as a private investigator, who turns into a friend and accomplice.

Sean serves in the war in Vietnam, where he meets...

Sergeant Donald Pfeiffer, Sean's commanding officer and a drug addict who enjoys philosophizing about the War. The two evolve from friends into lovers -- a secret Sean keeps to this day. Sean reacts to the Sergeant's death by deserting.

Domingo, the leader of a group of American deserters who reside at a hotel-casino in Bavet, Cambodia. A native of south Texas, he teaches Sean the ways of life in southeast Asia for recently-treasonous Americans.

In his long political career, Eugene Flannery made a few powerful friends.

Jack Markham, the former two-time Secretary of State of the United States. He and Eugene are old friends, but due to their political differences, they must keep their relationship on the proverbial down-low. When the Flannery family, or one of their friends, needs a favor, Eugene often calls on Jack for assistance. The Secretary never meets, or interacts, with anyone in the family other than his friend Eugene, but his actions will impact their lives for decades.

Jack Markham, Jr., the Secretary's son. He and Sean Flannery do not know each other, but they have crossed paths numerous times in each other's lives, always at moments of unique vulnerability. Like Sean, his cosmic cousin, he will stumble through a privileged life, commiting every pratfall imaginable in his youth. Unlike Sean, his stumbles will lead to politics, and eventually to elected office. On Day 37, he will be elected President of the United States.

In the present day, Dennis is a federal prison inmate, and Meg is the infamous "Red Lady," living alone in New York City.

In the year 2017, Dennis is a federal prison inmate. His cellmate is Delph, a black nationalist whose blunt insights challenge Dennis' sad-sack perception of his life.