Set in New York City, in 1950's this novel tells the story of a bold passion between two newly married people as they change their ways for the sake of love. Taylor and Esther Payne begin their lives as a married couple in the haven of Haverly Street in Greenwich Village, New York. Here they can have their love and their license, and though their journey is one of love and trust, it is not without its challenges. As a Negro woman, Esther must learn to live in Taylor's white world as his wife. She fears that their marriage has exacerbated the distance between Taylor and his family, Taylor refuses to talk about it, and Esther is haunted by the absence of his family. She yearns for their family to be whole--but what she learns in the process risks their happiness permanently.