In January 1945, during the waning months of World War II, a small group of people embark on the longest journey of their lives: an attempt to cross the remnants of the Third Reich, from Warsaw to the Rhine, to reach the British and American lines.

Among the group is eighteen-year-old Anna Emmerich, the daughter of Prussian aristocrats. Accompanying her is her lover, Callum Finella, a twenty-year-old Scottish prisoner of war who was brought to her family’s farm as forced labor. There is also a twenty-six-year-old Wehrmacht corporal, known to the pair as Manfred, who is, in reality, Uri Singer, a Jew from Germany who managed to escape a train bound for Auschwitz.

As they work their way west, they encounter a countryside ravaged by war. Their flight will test both Anna’s and Callum’s love, as well as their friendship with Manfred—assuming any of them even survive.

Chris Bohjalian skillfully portrays the flesh and blood of history, crafting a rich tapestry that puts a face on one of the twentieth century’s greatest tragedies. This is a masterpiece that will haunt readers for generations.