Helprin's story takes place in the later part of WWII and finishes in post war NYC with the interweaving of the mafia, the establishment of the CIA, while also addressing the challenges of being Jewish, black, and poor. I was frustrated by the language he uses to describe love and that mystical quality of falling at first sight. A friend, who recently read it, described it as inspiring that a male author could so effectively describe love and affection so poignantly. I found that idea intriguing as I read the same thing and found annoyance at the perpetuation of the ideas of love happening to two people by chance or fate as if that was enough. What I enjoyed from the story was the way that little decisions and the character's past experiences informed the decisions they made as they moved through the story. They seemed to grow and change and struggle based on a real life and not just the imaginings of a writer. I don't know if I would recommend the book, but I don't regret reading it.