American Katie Barber insists on staying in Belgium with her frail grandmother despite the threat of impending war. She is trapped in the occupied village and endures the terror of being controlled by Lieutenant von Walder, while suffering the hatred of the villagers for reasons she does not understand. When her grandmother dies, she finds ways to cope, but observes the threatening Lt. von Walder become more withdrawn and dangerous. With the eventual liberation by American forces, Katieas world changes dramatically and so does the Germanas. She learns why the villagers hated her grandparents, and the village learns a huge lesson in tolerance and trust. A growing family and the near death of Katie brings together two older friends who each have survived their own tragedy; and a third family develops in this story that begins in war and grows into a warm and intimate tale of love and trust.