Initially set in Germany in the days just preceding World War II, this book explores the fictionalized experiences of a prominent Jewish family, the Rosenthalers and their plight as they attempt to avoid being engulfed in the coming conflict. As they try to make sense of their narrowing choices--flee or stay--they must act quickly, before the choices are no longer in their hands. They must then reestablish their lives and find normalcy in the post-Holocaust diaspora. Set on three continents, it follows the attempts of two brothers, their children and grandchildren as they make the adjustments in their unanticipated lives and loves to recapture the stability they once enjoyed.