Early in World War II, a privileged young Jewish woman from Baltimore meets a Protestant Navy pilot at her twin brother’s funeral. Rachel is drawn to Bob’s poise and urbanity despite the prejudice she feels toward the young Southerner, so different from herself. Bob, in turn, admires the beautiful Rachel, whose sophistication sets her apart from the hometown sweetheart he hopes to marry.

As Rachel and Bob begin a tentative long-distance correspondence, the war and their personal lives and loves challenge each of them to face their own lifelong biases. When Bob is transferred to Chicago, where Rachel lives and works, their relationship unexpectedly deepens into an interfaith romance. In this heart-warming historical novel, they confront their own and others’ prejudices in different ways and begin to see themselves and each other more clearly.