Book excerpt: As one prominent Jewish family, the Gunzburgs fight for their principles, the rest of Russia adheres to the malicious and unfaltering laws of the Tsar. Torn between what is expected of them and what their hearts truly want, the Gunzburgs begin to forge a new path-in search of their own identity and place in a world full of forbidden love, shattering betrayals, and war. Can they find where they truly belong and where their passion lies while the dynasty crumbles around them? "Inspired by the diaries of Monique Raphel High's grandmother, this epic saga will take readers on a journey through Russian history as witnessed by one woman who lived it."