Albert Fahrnbauer vows on his Mothers deathbed that he will dedicate his life to the service of Mankind. He will develop a new scientific system of portraiture through color matched to each personality - a portrait that reveals a blueprint toward a radiant better life. But he has a problem. His portraits are terrible. Nobody wants them. He marries Barbara, a fellow art student, with the understanding she will help him develop his system. They will have no children. He wants her to join him every step of the way, painting only with his scientific mixtures. Unfortunately. Barbara prefers her free-spirited, messy way of painting. Her portraits sell, but she cheats on his system Volume 2 opens when they leave Florida for Atlanta, GA. They buy 14 acres on a hilltop. Albert is thrilled with the view all the way to Atlanta beyond the trees. Barbara is appalled at the crappy old house, no hot water, and a bathroom outside on the porch. They are both city people with romantic ideas. They want to live off the land, milk goats, and grow vegetables. They have no farming experience whatsoever. They make hilarious mistakes, suffer emotional traumas over crops and animals, endure periods of starvation, moments of euphoria, and violent arguments over ways to paint. It is also the time of Civil Rights, the 1950s. Their landlord visits them at Christmas with a K.K. Klan buddy. The preacher, politicians, neighbors and customers oppose any change in the racial customs and treatment of Negro people. Albert confronts them with his humanitarian philosophy. All people have a unique and wonderful radiance of living color, he tells them. His system will prove it - if only Barbara will use it. So goes the story of their different personalities, where each of them came from, and how their backgrounds inspire, damage, and diverge throughout their lives together.
