When Sylvia's son, Cyril, vanishes during a perilous school trek in the German mountains, her world crumbles. A pre-trip postcard from Cyril hints that his teacher now lauded for his rescue efforts knew more about the stormy conditions than he has admitted. Sylvia shifts from frantic mother to justice seeker.

Meanwhile in Hofsgrund, a German mountain village, Nazi flags and Hitler Youth parades are rapidly appearing, and Hilde senses life's irreversible change. The English schoolboys' rescue shakes the community, sparking political strife. Neighbour turns on neighbour, endangering Hilde and Sylvia's quest for Cyril.