Anna is a young woman whose family is torn apart by the brutality of Stalin’s bullies when they enter her village in Western Ukraine in 1939. Her community, like many others, is trampled and desecrated by Bolsheviks and Fascists in turn, while Russia and Germany fight for dominance in the East. But Anna is a resilient survivor who finds her own path, despite the dangers. When her lover joins the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, she decides to help the partisans in their fight against powerful enemies. Her determination only grows as she gradually loses those she loves.....but being brave doesn't guarantee survival.
Any association with partisans can lead to death under Nazi occupation, so when Natalya's lover and secret husband is betrayed and killed, she must flee her home in Ukraine to avoid endangering the lives of her family. Transported to Germany as forced labour, she hides in plain sight among her enemies performing the role of the obedient maid. But as the Reich begins to crumble under the weight of the Allied onslaught, Natalya must take more dangerous work in German armaments factories. Will she survive to be liberated? What fate will freedom hold for Natalya and all the other displaced persons awash in post-war Europe?
1947. Boatloads of Displaced Persons arrive in Britain, stateless and penniless. The Ministry of Labour finds them somewhere to live, and a job...but takes away their freedom of choice. Will Natalya and Taras be able to stay together while trying to navigate the rules of this strange land? And, left behind the Iron Curtain, how will her two young sisters cope with NKVD's bullying? Will they manage to avoid the deportations and summary executions carried out by Stalin's henchmen? Unable to communicate with one another, the three sisters live in hope of one day being re-united, but will the traditional welcome with bread and salt ever be possible?