Life is close to perfect for emil larsson, a self-satisfied bureaucrat in the office of customs and excise in 1791 stockholm. He is a true man of the town--a drinker, card player, and contented bachelor--until one evenin...Life is close to perfect for emil larsson, a self-satisfied bureaucrat in the office of customs and excise in 1791 stockholm. He is a true man of the town--a drinker, card player, and contented bachelor--until one evening when mrs. Sofia sparrow, a fortune-teller and proprietor of an exclusive gaming parlor, shares with him a vision she has had: a golden path that will lead him to love and connection.