That day in 1917, Russian orphan Mikhail Petrenko acted out the revolutionary rhetoric that inflamed his young heart. He could not, however, control the players in that fateful Bolshevik scene. Just like he could not take his new lover, Catherine, with him when he fled the country. It would take a long lifetime for Mikhail, who took the name of Mitch Petri at Ellis Island, to realize that he had left behind much more than a precious heirloom containing a mustard seed. Nearing the end of a career that took this Russian immigrant to dizzying pinnacles of success and admiration, Mitch Petri would be forced to confront his lost history. His biographer digs into his past and uncovers a legacy this Russian-born American never knew about. This family saga provides a glimpse into Soviet-U.S. relations during the 1980s, and at the same time, reminds us of the admiration we hold for self-made men. Part romance, part tragedy, The Locket Left Behind also reminds us of the family, love and democratic ideals we hold so dear.