The summer of 1915 was a time of prosperity and unease for the Wittgenstein family, and for their eldest daughter Beata it was also a time of awakening. By the glimmering waters of Lake Geneva, the quiet Jewish beauty met a young French officer and fell in love. Knowing that her parents would never accept her marriage to a Catholic, Beata followed her heart - and as the two built a new life together, Beata's past would stay with her in ways she could never have predicted.

As the years pass, Beata must watch in horror as Europe is once again engulfed in war, threatening her life and family - even her daughter Amadea, who has taken the vows of a Carmelite nun. But Amadea is forced into hiding and as family and friends are swept away without a trace, she begins a harrowing journey of survival. Taking on daring missions behind enemy lines, she finds a man who will help her discover her place in an unbreakable chain between generations...between her lost family and her future.