Annotation: In his latest novel, Alexander Stessin takes readers not only to different geographical locations, as he has done in his previous works, but also across different times—from medieval Portugal to modern-day America. Drawing on archival evidence, conversations with loved ones, and his own memories, Stessin embarks on a quest to rescue his family’s story from oblivion, weaving a delicate web of distant and close ties with people who, at first glance, seem to share nothing in common with him. Beneath this near-detective investigation lies a question that, in light of recent catastrophic events, resonates with particular urgency: What makes up our sense of self? Is it the memory of our ancestors? The personal and historical hardships we’ve overcome? Or is it our existence within a culture—one not inherited by birth but adopted through conscious choice?