At the height of World War I in 1917 England, shy and talented pianist, Hazel locks eyes with James, a freshly minted soldier who dreams of a career as an architect. Their whirlwind love and connection is immediate and deep, but cut short as James is shipped off to face war. Aubrey, a gifted musician, is also headed to the trenches as a member of the 15th New York infantry- an all-African-American regiment sent to help end the Great War. Love never crossed his mind until he met Colette, a Belgian chanteuse who has already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans.
Thirty years after these four lovers’ fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite recants their stories to her husband Hephaestus, her lover Ares, and the God of the Underworld himself, Hades, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room now at the height of World War II. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are love and war eternally drawn to one another? But from her efforts of finding a conclusion that will please her jealous husband, Aphrodite uncovers a complicated tale of prejudice, trauma, and music, but most importantly that war is no match to the power of love. -paraphrased from GoodReads.
