From the 1920s to the 1960s, from Florida to New York and Paris, Golden’s tale of forbidden romance explores the racial bigotry that has ever been part of the American landscape, the prejudices of earlier generations bearing fruit and furthering the division between races. Lovers Julian and Kendall come from very different backgrounds--an unlikely pairing, but all the more potent for its implied breach of social mores. Julian, sent from Germany to America in 1928 at fifteen, leaves behind an unhappy, emotionally dependent mother and an intelligent, indifferent father. The ugliness of the Holocaust is still far from fruition, a silent poison creeping through Germany. In Newark, New Jersey, Julian Rose finds his niche with East Coast bootleggers but begins as well to invest in real estate as a way to build his fortune.

It isn’t until 1938, when his refugee parents arrive in Lovewood, Florida, that Julian meets Kendall Wakefield, the daughter of Garland Wakefield. Daughter of the founder of Lovewood’s African-American college, Garland is a determined, principled woman who refuses to sell any of the college’s land to the mayor, Jarvis Scales. Ezekiel Wakefield, Garland’s father and Kendall’s grandfather, was once one of the mayor’s slaves, the enmity between the families long and deep. Given the fierce individualism of a man who has made his own way in life, Julian has little concern for the opinions of others, his attraction to Kendall both immediate and mutual. But Mrs. Wakefield has other plans for her talented daughter, plans that don’t include the scandal or problems of a mixed-race romance.

Golden’s tale is a melding of both his strong-willed protagonists, the wealthy Julian Rose and the driven artist Kendall, whose career as a painter evolves over time to that of photographer. Her images portray the dichotomies of American life, the outrages of discrimination that plague the South, the lynching of Kendall’s former suitor a pivotal event as she finds her voice as a photographer. Besides the mix of personalities--from Julian’s closest friends in New Jersey to Kendall’s circle in Lovewood and Paris--world events shape much of the drama against which the lovers play out their poignant romance, restricted by social conventions and laws. Real freedom can be found only in Paris, where American expats form a vibrant creative community. Both Julian and Kendall are unconventional, remarkably strong characters unable to find peace in their relationship.

The years pass as world events mold their choices, Kendall as a war photographer, Julian as an intelligence agent, the pair torn asunder by Kendall’s fear of losing her independence. Meanwhile, Julian wants only to help and protect this amazing woman. Fate intervenes for both, the tale coming full circle in Lovewood, Florida, when past and present collide in an unexpected denouement. Golden’s prose is rich and emotionally layered, a balance between real events and the choices of lovers who challenge society for a broader understanding of what is acceptable and what is ultimately too precious to squander.