The Jewish people are in a constant state of diaspora. Isaiah Margulies' novel follows the Vostęvskie family through several centuries of the Jewish diaspora as they navigate forced migration, unrequited love, questions of assimilation, and the ravages of world war. From their near-mythical roots in a Polish farming village named Tolevoste, to the merchant ships and sprawling shanties of port cities across the globe, the Vostęvskies' journey is one of survival. But as they endure, the question remains: Can a people thrive when so much has been lost to time? As time passes, the Vostęvskies must learn to distinguish myth from reality, challenging the core of their identity.