Between San Francisco and the Belgian Congo, between war and silence, two cousins build a love story through the writing of letters. In 1936, spirited young Mimi dreams of a life far beyond the confines of the home she shares with her widowed father and difficult sister. Half a world away, Maurice-a veteran of the First World War living in Belgium and the Congo-finds solace in writing to the intelligent, passionate young woman he has never met in person. Over the next decade, their correspondence deepens into a profound emotional bond shaped by longing, photography, literature, and shared dreams of a future together in Africa. But history has other plans. As war engulfs Europe and Africa alike, Maurice disappears for long stretches without explanation, forcing Mimi to endure years of uncertainty, heartbreak, and impossible choices. While Mimi builds a life for herself in wartime San Francisco, Maurice faces dangers and sacrifices she cannot begin to imagine. Engagements fail.

Marriages intervene. Time and distance alter them both. Yet through years of separation, their connection continues to endure in ways neither fully understands. Spanning 1936 to 1947, Mimi and Maurice is a sweeping historical saga that explores love, resilience, war, family obligation, and the painful beauty of lives forever shaped by timing, distance, and hope.