When Zara Rubens is suddenly widowed, she decides to take control of her life and visit Palestine. Zara creates a new life for herself in nineteenth-century Jerusalem. She becomes acquainted with such legendary figures as British Consul James Finn and his fascinating wife Elizabeth, Reverend Conrad Schick, and the renowned painter William Holman-Hunt. As a writer for the nascent New York Times, Zara becomes embroiled in a precarious situation at the Russian Compound – with surprising discoveries.Over a century later, New York museum curator Rebecca Silver inherits her great-aunt's diaries. She becomes fascinated by Zara’s activities. But as she delves into Zara’s life, she discovers that there was more to her aunt than meets the eye – and more to Rebecca herself, if she is willing to search within.