E.L. Doctorow's new novel follows the fascinating lives of Homer and Langley Collyer, two orphaned brothers who live reclusively in a massive 4-storey townhouse on Fifth Avenue. After their mother and father succumb to the Spanish Flu pandemic that hit the city in 1918, Homer, a talented young piano player and artist, slowly loses his sight and is stricken blind. At the same time, Langley is deployed to Europe to fight in the war. There on the western front, he is exposed to mustard gas which subsequently sears his lungs, forcing him to recuperate in an army hospital. He eventually returns to his brother and their home. This brilliant, touching story takes place and is shaped by the epic events of the 20th Century - from the Jazz Age of the 20s to the hippies of the 60s. It is a book of profound intelligence and humanity which will delight E.L Doctorow's many fans.