Clarissa, a young woman of Asian and Caucasian heritage, is a nomad who has called seven countries home, yet belongs to none. Now, she yearns for roots to ground her drifting existence. But where should these roots take hold?

Searching for identity and permanence, she gravitates towards the city of her birth. Here, she finds herself entangled in the intriguing mystery of stolen illuminated manuscripts—medieval artistry pushed to obscurity by the dawn of the printing press. Will this quest grant her the sense of belonging she yearns for, or simply plunge her deeper into uncertainty?

For Clarissa, these ancient manuscripts stir tender memories of bedtime stories her mother once read to her, igniting an enduring love for art.

The breadcrumbs of her investigation lead to an American soldier, a relic of World War II, who had secretly hoarded the stolen artwork for half a century. But as Clarissa digs deeper, expecting answers, she encounters mysteries that beget more questions.

Innocent in life yet rich in artistry, Clarissa is disillusioned by the elusive and sometimes unscrupulous underbelly of the art world that the quest unveils. What drives individuals to theft and conquerors to plunder art from the defeated? Why are artworks auctioned for astronomical prices? Who determines the value of a masterpiece, and on what grounds?

The Golden Manuscripts is inspired by the real-life theft of medieval manuscript illuminations during World War II.

Dive into this intriguing tale and navigate the fascinating labyrinth of art, theft, identity, and the human longing to belong.