Miriam Gordon lives in a fog of grief while working in a downtown public library branch. When a burgeoning love-affair coincides with her receiving a series of oddly threatening letters, Miriam's sheltered existence is cracked open.
Giacomo Casanova's great love Lucia leaves Italy for Amsterdam. When they meet again, she has reinvented herself as a veiled courtesan. As the former lovers reignite their passion, Lucia keeps her true identity a secret.