This book centers on two women's quests, on in the 1970's and one during the French Revolution. These women's searches involve a chess set that contains the secret to the elixir of life. The author goes overboard with her chess theme and the storyline is realy too far-fetched, but those are also the reasons I like the book. It has chess, love, math, adventure, prophets, nuns, killings, spies, etc. It's a fun read.