"The Divine Fire" by May Sinclair is a love story, a literary journey and a peek into the world of the book trade from many angles. Savage Keith Rickman is a talented young poet with a classical education and a cockney accent. He wants to be a gentleman yet his less chivalrous ways drive him to drink and have a fascination for a variety actress. Lucia is a beautiful young woman from a wealthy family. Her grandfather's library of rare books is worth more to her than the inheritance she stands to lose. She hires Rickman to catalog its contents.