Germans migrated to Russia in the 1700's and early 1800's with the promise of good farmland. They formed colonies and were allowed to speak their native language, establish their own schools, and build their own churches. At the end of the Great War, Russia Germans were forced into a life of poverty, as the Communist demanded they share more and more of their crops, leaving them to starve. The Grieb and Wallentine families were fortunate to be living in Bessarabia, Romania at the end of the Great War. They continued to prosper and live their lives as they had before the war. Then, in the fall of 1939 Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact. The two countries invaded Poland from the East and West, meeting in Warsaw. Fear grips the Grieb and Wallentine families as the threat of the Red Army invading Romania becomes a reality.