In the wake of the devastating 1918 influenza epidemic that claimed her father and sister, nine-year-old Annie Finnerty develops a deep fear of loss that will shadow her throughout her life. As she grows into a cautious young woman in 1920s Baltimore, Annie meets Vince Parisi, a charming, ambitious Italian-American determined to build his family's restaurant business.

Their unlikely romance blossoms despite cultural differences and Annie's protective walls, leading to a marriage that spans decades of challenge and change. Through the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, and into the cultural shifts of the 1950s and beyond, Annie and Vince navigate parenthood, business struggles, and the evolution of their once-passionate relationship.

When a devastating illness threatens their future together, Annie must confront her lifelong fears and find strength she never knew she possessed. As their children grow and begin families of their own, the couple faces a reckoning with the choices they've made and the secrets they've kept.

Spanning nearly eight decades of American history, "Once Upon a Time in Baltimore" is a richly textured portrait of marriage, family, and resilience. With unflinching honesty and tender insight, it explores how the traumas of our past shape our present, and how even the most ordinary lives contain extraordinary moments of courage, forgiveness, and love.

If you enjoyed "The Boston Girl" by Anita Diamant, "Saints for All Occasions" by J. Courtney Sullivan, and "The Last Romantics" by Tara Conklin, you'll love "Once Upon a Time in Baltimore."