The last of Hawthorne's completed romances showcases the durability of life and art, chronicling the adventures of a group of American expatriates in Italy. Befriended by the handsome Donatello, who possesses all the grace of a marble statue of a faun, the Americans find themselves swept up in events beyond their reason and expectations. Italy and Rone become characters in this witty and symbolic romance, drawing on art, literature, and the Fall from Grace as its themes.