In 1836, nineteen-year-old Fanny Appleton, daughter of a wealthy Boston industrialist, is touring Europe with her family. Fanny enjoys life among the elite social circles, yet she's also drawn to more intellectual pursuits. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is touring Europe under different circumstances. Recently widowed, he is researching a new publication in hopes of securing his professorship at Harvard. Befriended by the Appletons, Henry falls in love with Fanny. But she is uncertain. Could a book of Henry's poetry persuade Fanny to believe in a love that lasts forever and forever?