It's 1940, and a newly married couple, Vladimir and Slava, don't yet know the difficult years of war and separation that will test and strengthen their love for each other. Vladimir, as a young medical doctor, will serve in the Soviet arm in battle and will be taken as a prisoner of war by the Nazis. Meanwhile, Slava will stay behind in their hometown of Vitebsk that is overrun by the Germans. Neither one will know the fate of the other but remain determined to see each other again. This is a historical novel of their survival based on the true story of the author's parents.