When Thoughts Will Soar: A romance of the immediate future

A glittering circle of aristocrats, scientists and artists gathers around the enigmatic American magnate John A. Toker, whose restless mind is consumed by a daring vision: an airship that could reshape warfare and travel. Amid his endless meetings, estates and social obligations, Toker scribbles frantic notes and secret lists, hoping to enlist the era’s brightest minds—Curie, Marconi, Tolstoy, even the Prince of Monaco—to turn his lofty scheme into reality. The atmosphere crackles with the promise of progress, yet the billionaire confesses a deeper frustration: wealth cannot buy the hours he needs to see his dream take flight.

Enter Franka Garlett, a talented young woman whose talents in music and discourse quickly earn her a place in the grand halls of Sielenburg Castle. As she navigates the glittering salons and the expectations of high society, a subtle attraction forms with the thoughtful scholar Chlodwig Helmer. Their budding connection intertwines art, ambition, and the tantalizing possibility that love, like the airship, might soon soar beyond the bounds of tradition.