After surviving the horrors of the Holocaust, Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth embarks on a new life in the United States, having been forcibly ripped apart from his wife, Erzsébet, and his niece, Zsófia, during the tumultuous times of World War II in Budapest. He finds himself in Philadelphia where, with the assistance of his American wife, Audrey, and his immigrant cousin, Attila, he begins the arduous task of searching for employment to secure a stable future.
In 1947, László takes a step towards success by aiding Attila in managing a furniture business, but fate takes a different turn when his son Harry unexpectedly seeks his help in renovating the study and library of the affluent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.. Upon returning home, however, Harrison is infuriated by the state of the renovations, ordering László and Attila to leave without compensation—a disheartening setback. Tensions mount when Audrey accuses László of pursuing her, which leads to Attila asking him to vacate his house in sorrowful disappointment.
As the years roll on, László finds refuge in charitable housing operated by a church, where he forges a friendship with Gordon, an African-American father grappling with the challenges of raising his young son in poverty. Unbeknownst to Gordon, László has developed a hidden dependency on heroin, and their paths intertwine in a dangerous venture at a shipyard. Unexpectedly, Harrison resurfaces, revealing to László that his architectural talents have garnered admiration within the community, thereby commissioning him to construct a community center dedicated to his late mother—a project that encompasses a library, theater, gymnasium, and chapel. Eager to leave a lasting legacy in America, László dives into this new venture, but his addiction pulls him further down a treacherous path, ultimately complicating the immigration of Erzsébet and Zsófia to the United States.
Part 2: The Hard Core of Beauty
The plot thickens in 1953 when László greets Erzsébet and Zsófia at the train station, only to discover that Erzsébet, now wheelchair-bound due to osteoporosis, and Zsófia, rendered mute by trauma, have been irrevocably changed. Frustration mounts as László faces off against developers who alter the design and materials of the center without his consent. Although he intends to fund the necessary materials himself, Harry disparages him, firmly asserting that László is merely “tolerated”—and worse, he makes lewd remarks about Zsófia, whom László warns against due to the potential abuse she has faced.
The narrative takes a dark turn when a train carrying vital supplies for the center derails, leading to significant injuries and forcing Harrison to halt construction. Years pass; László and Erzsébet have relocated to New York City, where Zsófia has recovered her speech and is starting a family of her own. She shares plans to move to Jerusalem with her husband, urging her family to join despite their reluctant attachment to America.
As Harrison reaches out to László with an offer to complete the community center on a tight budget by sacrificing the library, hope mingles with desperation. To procure stones necessary for completion, László turns to an old ally. Unfortunately, this connection leads to a horrifying encounter—Harrison, asserting dominance, rapes László in the quarry, leaving him traumatized and spiraling into chaos. His temper flares as he alienates friends, neglects professional obligations, and lashes out at innocent workers.
With the pain of witnessing Erzsébet's struggles intensifying, László reluctantly injects her with heroin, leading to a near-fatal overdose one harrowing night. Exhausted by the trials of life in America, they consider a new beginning in Jerusalem. In a chilling climax, Erzsébet confronts Harrison about the rape, leading to a brutal altercation that forces her into the care of her sister, Maggie.
Epilogue
The story arrives at a poignant close with Erzsébet’s passing in 1980 and a retrospective exhibition highlighting László’s architectural legacy, including the long-delayed community center, finally completed a decade after its initial halt. As Zsófia delivers a speech, she reflects on how their experiences during the Holocaust shaped László's works, quoting him in the insightful reminder: > "No matter what the others try to sell you, it is the destination, not the journey."
