Takes readers on a Latvian woman's courageous journey from her young adulthood in an impoverished and oppressive homeland to the promise of a new life and lasting love half a world away in America. Family, friends, loves, country, and culture shape her laws about love as she transforms from a young woman to an adult, wife, and mother. From the joy of a lover's first kiss to the outrage of religious discrimination to the devastation of a husband's betrayal, Raines shares her lessons with emotion and honesty.