"Beyond the skyline of Toledo stands the Toledo Institute of Astronomy, ... a beacon of scientific learning for astronomers far and wide. One of these is George Dermont, ... who's trying to prove the scientific existence of a Gateway to God ... Its newest star is Irene Sparks, a pragmatist and mathematician invited to lead the Institute's work on a massive superconductor being constructed below Toledo. This would be a scientist's dream come true, but it's particularly poignant for Irene, who has been in self-imposed exile from Toledo and her estranged alcoholic mother Bernice. When Bernice dies unexpectedly, Irene resolves to return to Toledo, and sets in motion a series of events which place George and Irene on a collision course with love, destiny, and fate"--