Setting and Context

Berlin, April 1945. A terrified young German woman huddles in a cellar as the final battle for the city rages overhead, bracing herself for the arrival of the rampaging Red Army. Her husband, missing in France since D-day, is not there to shield her from the coming hell that WWII's endgame brings, as triumphant Soviet soldiers make German women the targets of their vengeance.

Plot and Characters

An unlikely savior arrives in the form of a young Soviet officer who takes her under his wing and with whom she begins a torrid affair. But what are his motives for seeking her out and protecting her? What will she do if her husband returns? Can she love two men simultaneously, or will she have to choose?

Reader Experience

This story will grip you from the first page, make you laugh, make you cry, and remain with you.