Alyson Richman

During the last moments of calm in prewar Prague, Lenka, a young art student, and Josef, who is studying medicine, fall in love. With the promise of a better future, they marry--only to have their dreams shattered by the imminent Nazi invasion. Like so many others, they are torn apart by the currents of war.

An elusive courtesan, Marthe de Florian cultivated a life of art and beauty, casting out all recollections of her impoverished childhood in the dark alleys of Montmartre. With Europe on the brink of war, she shares her story with her granddaughter Solange Beaugiron, using her prized possessions to reveal her innermost secrets. Moststriking of all are a beautiful string of pearls and a magnificent portrait of Marthe painted by the Italian artist Giovanni...

1863. In New Orleans Stella, an ingenious young Black woman, embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her activities, Stella has to hide not only her efforts but her love for William, a Black soldier and a brilliant musician. In New York City Lily, a Jewish woman, stitches a quilt for her husband, who is stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army....