Book excerpt: A tale of nine love stories--spanning 1100 years and stretching from the canyons and mesas of prehistoric North America to the snowy peaks of the Himalayas, from the Serengeti plains of Africa to the inner confines of a sultan's harem, from the Adirondack lakes of the British colonies to the law courts of Victorian London, and finally to the hospital halls of Ohio. What weaves these tales together is something stronger than death and lasting longer than time as we know it. Beyond the sweeping romance and soul-baring emotional intrigue, Weber delivers nine well-researched historical studies of what it was like to live in those widely varying cultures during vastly different times...and what can happen when you continue to open your heart to love.