Like his other books, this novel is wonderfully descriptive both in plot and character. The subject matter is very depressing, and true to form, the author depicts a very real picture of the horror of living in Nazi Germany. The storyline starts with the characters of a Prussian family and Scottish POW who are fleeing Germany. They meet up with a Jewish refugee who disguises his ethnicity. A subplot of a group of Jewish women leaving a concentration camp with their tormentors eventually intertwines with the main plot. Like his other novels, the author manages a few unexpected twists and surprises. The gruesome details are a grim reminder of this horrific time in history.