In this breathtaking and emotional saga, a family must travel far from home to save what they hold dear.
Hamburg 1888: After thirty prosperous years, coffee importer Peter Hansen & Sons faces hard times—and certain bankruptcy—unless three brothers can make savvy moves to save the faltering business after their father’s untimely death. For Robert Hansen, that means meeting changing demands by following the future from Vienna to Africa. He relocates his family to the German colony of Cameroon and takes ownership of a cocoa plantation.
With a spirit as adventurous as her father’s, Robert’s fifteen-year-old daughter Luise discovers an exciting new world far from the strictures of Hamburg society. The Duala people and the breathtaking natural beauty speak to her true soul. But not all are open to the culture or the challenges awaiting them in this foreign land. Soon bitter rivalries and shocking betrayals tear at the very fabric of the Hansen family, even as Luise discovers the powerful love of a young local man. It will defy the expectations of her family, rouse fearful beliefs, and force her to make a decision that will change her life.
In medieval Germany, Madlen Goldmann left her passion for medicine behind to live a life of quiet contentment with her devoted husband, Johannes, and their children. But when Madlen’s aunt delivers the news that Johannes’s father, Peter, has gone blind, Madlen must use her healing skills to help just one more time. While caring for her father-in-law, Madlen assists a handsome young doctor, Franz von Beyenburg, in a procedure to restore Peter’s sight—something she never dreamed possible.
When Dr. von Beyenburg invites her to attend his medical lectures in Heidelberg, Madlen realizes it’s an unprecedented opportunity to expand her knowledge. But to do so, she must return to the town where she was falsely accused of murder, face the scorn of her fellow male students, and assuage her husband’s unease—all obstacles that seem insurmountable. Will she risk it all to realize her dream of saving lives—whether society is ready for her or not?
Cologne, 1351: Elisabeth and Stephen Hardenstein are twins, but they could not be more different. While Elisabeth is inspired by the family business, absorbing everything her father shows her about the cloth trade, Stephen enjoys a leisurely life and pays little attention to their father's teachings. Elisabeth recognizes her true vocation as a tradeswoman, and though the odds are stacked against her, she pursues her passion.
When the twins' father suffers a tragic stroke, the tables turn. Suddenly, Stephen is interested in running the draper's shop his father left behind, and he takes the lead in managing the family business. But Elisabeth can't sit idly by and watch as he makes bad decisions and accumulates debts. Stephen pushes her to marry as soon as possible, even proposing a suitor, but Elisabeth has her own ideas about matters of the heart. Are her talents in the art of negotiation enough to win her both the job of her dreams and the man she truly loves?
In the fourteenth century, opportunities for women are limited to the home. But spirited young Madlen finds her calling as assistant to the city's trusted midwife, Clara. Working alongside Clara, Madlen develops a surprisingly soothing technique and quickly becomes a talented healer. After Clara's tragic death, Madlen alone rushes to assist the birth of a local nobleman's child. But rather than the joy of birth, Madlen walks into an accusation of murder and witchcraft because of her extraordinary gifts. Forced to flee her own town, she establishes a new identity in the home of her aunt. Yet even though it endangers her life, she cannot resist the urge to help the sick patients who seek out her miraculous treatment. When she meets handsome Johannes-an investigator hired by the Church to bring her to justice for sacrilegious acts-she becomes drawn to the very man that could destroy her. Will Madlen's gifts bring about her downfall? Or can love and reason prevail in a time of fearful superstition?
