From birth, Thomas Beerman was special. A week later, so was Eric
Tanner Nolan.

Thomas was born with a birth defect, but was destined to live.
Living in a hospital for over four months as a baby, he still saw
the beauty in everything. To him, Branwyn Beerman was sunshine. To
her, she was one fortunate lady. Although left to raise her child
alone, she welcomed this opportunity and never gave a second
thought to Thomas dying; instead, she diligently stayed by his side
while he lay in his cocoon.

Dr. Minas Nolan was a lonely, widowed heart surgeon. Having a
12-pound, 12-ounce baby boy to care for by himself was not an easy
task. Losing his wife during childbirth was hard enough, but it
seemed as if this "wonder" child sucked the life out of everything
and everybody around him, demanding something from Minas that he
just could not give.

The one thing in common for both parents --- their loneliness. They
never expected to actually fall in love. Although time waits for no
one, it seemingly stood still for these two lovers; one black and
one white in a world that wasn't supposed to embrace them, didn't
embrace them. Minas loved Branwyn desperately, but she would never
marry him --- not while Thomas's father was still alive and had the
ability to make her heart race. The years quickly passed, and as
the boys turned six, their lives were forever changed.

Although Thomas and Eric grew up as brothers, Eric's family didn't
accept Thomas or his mother. But Minas and Eric loved them both
dearly. For Eric, Branwyn was the only mother he knew; the only one
who could calm him down, cheer him up and tame him. Her sweet,
gentle, no non-sense affection gave Eric the love that he so
desperately craved.

Unfortunately, life is cruel. Eric became sick, and a few days
later so did Branwyn.  He made it; she didn't. From that
moment on, Thomas's life was turned upside down, as his real father
came to retrieve him. Thomas was taken into an unhealthy
environment, which resulted in him being thrown into jail, becoming
homeless and virtually living on the streets. Tough and resilient,
he knew he would make it through and one day vowed to find his
family again.

Eric, on the other hand, had everything a young boy could imagine.
Everyone succumbed to his commanding presence, but didn't realize
that they, too, sucked the very life from him. The only thing
lacking in his life was his mother and brother, which affected him
deeply. One of his main problems was the notion that he hurt
everyone who loved him and he couldn't understand why.

As Eric and Thomas progress through time, years pass and situations
change, but one thing remains constant: their love for one another.
Walter Mosley does an excellent job of capturing the lives of two
young men whose existences are entwined, no matter the time or
distance. With true-to-life characters, Mosley paints pictures of
stereotypes, true love, devotion and the ability to one day find
exactly what you're looking for.