The sound was deafening. Rolling thunder shook the very ground he stood upon and then collapsed, sending him flying. Clouds of smoke and debris shrouded him for a time, and then there he was, as if the clouds parted and the very light of heaven shone upon him. He was dead. Screaming demons of war fought with the angels of peace for his soul, clawing and pulling at him.

Elise Boulanger of Baton Rouge Louisiana awakens from a hellish and vivid dream-Staff Sergeant Barton Barre is dead! He is blown up on the battlefield somewhere in Europe. She believes her beloved pen-pal is lost to her, any chance of further friendship or romance is gone. For a time, she silently suffers the reoccurring nightmares, reluctant to confess to her family that the dreams could be real. On the night of her debutante ball, Elise discovers the truth. She then bravely continues her life wearing the cloak of jeu d'esprit and a fake smile as if nothing has happened. In this generational saga, families and friends re-unite in the final days of World War II and beyond. This story captures the hearts of a courageous reluctant hero and a resilient lovely teen, transforming them while they both fatefully seek to attain their dreams.