The Refugee's Daughter

Summary

What is the price of freedom?

Winter 1945.

The Soviet army is sweeping into East Prussia, with their sights set on punishing Germans for the Nazis' reign of terror. Thirteen-year-old Giti and her younger brother, Otto, live with their mother and grandmother.

When soldiers arrive and brutally attack the two adult women, killing their grandmother, the farm is set ablaze. The children, along with their severely wounded mother, are loaded into a crowded train bound for the Soviet Union.

Tragically, their mother dies on the train, leaving the two children orphaned and terrified, thrust into a dark world. Giti is determined to escape, but her plan goes horribly wrong. She manages to jump from the train, but Otto is trapped and carried far away, separating him from his sister.

Wandering into the forest, scared and alone, a traumatized and mute Giti is rescued by a disabled veteran hiding in the woods. The two strike up an unlikely bond and manage to survive—until Russian soldiers arrive…

As Giti fights for her life, she is determined to be reunited with her brother. But how long will she have to wait, and will the reunion be as happy as she envisaged?