A story of love and fate swirl around Matthew Donohue, the son of Irish immigrants at the turn of the 20th century in San Francisco. He dreams of making a name for himself and marrying Julia, the beautiful raven-haired daughter of social climbing merchant class parents. A robbery and twist of fate lands a bar of gold in Matthew's hands and this new found wealth appears to guarantee his plans. The two lovers look toward a long life together but Matthew's wealth and future are crushed in a catastrophic earthquake. Over time and distance, their love and dreams will manifest itself in a new generation that won't be denied, but how could it ever come to pass? This is a novel of historical fiction. Many of the details and descriptions of places and situations in the book are factually accurate.