In the middle of the nineteenth century, many wealthy European Jewish families, lured by newfound political freedom and riches, abandoned the Torah way of life in favor of the ways of high society. When Edwad Lindenstein, the arrogant and frivolous scion of one such family, marries Minna, a religious girl, trouble lies ahead.

This enthralling novelette traces Edward's shifting fortunes from the capitals of Europe to the far-flung shores of Africa and South America. A tale of greed, deceit, piracy on the high seas, and the ultimate triumph of faith.