The arrival of the Soviet army in Germany at the end of World War II sends sixteen-year-old Katja and her family into turmoil. With their father gone and few resources available to them, Katja and her sister flee their home, reassured by their mother that if they can just reach a distant friend in a town far away, things will get better. Their harrowing journey brings danger and violence, and Katja needs to summon all her strength to build a new life, just as she's questioning everything she thought she knew about her country.