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A listener note.

This episode contains references to sudden infant death. It may not be suitable for all

audiences.

It's December 24, 1938 at the Lakinta Resort in Palm Springs, 120 miles east of Los Angeles, California.

Irving Berlin makes his way along the side of one of the luxury hotel's numerous pools.

A lone swimmer cuts through the water with long, powerful strokes.

And if the 50-year-old Irving takes a closer look, you'll see the woman as a prominent Hollywood star.

But Erring's not all that interested in celebrities. He knows plenty already. So Irving

heads away from the pool, weaving through the immaculate gardens of sweet-smelling fruit trees

toward his room. He opens the door and flips on the light. Irving's room is cool and spacious,

its decor both glamorous and understated at the same time. But one thing stands out among the

muted whites and delicately luxurious fabrics. Gleaming darkly in the corner is a piano. Irving

heads right for it. Irving is one of the most sought-after songwriters in America,

and for the past few weeks he's been working on a new Hollywood movie, but its tight production

schedule means that he must spend Christmas working here in La Quinta. His family is on the

opposite side of the country in New York, and Irving misses them terribly.

Irving sits down, and his fingers drift aimlessly across the piano keys.

He's struggling to focus, thinking about what his young family must be doing right now,

...