When bombardments force Dr. Georges Moncel from his position as distinguished university president in France, he begins to research and write a historical novel-one that ultimately incites the suspicion and wrath of the SS. In 1943, against the adamant wishes of his wife Suzanne, Moncel escapes France with the help of the French Resistance and travels to the Middle East. In order to complete his manuscript, Moncel plans to retrace the path taken by Abraham almost 4,000 years ago. His journey takes him from the abject misery of occupied France in World War II to exotic Egypt and its archaeological wonders to the world of Abraham and Sarah three millennia earlier. While trying to pacify Suzanne back in France and come to terms with the arrests of his friends and colleagues by the Nazis, Moncel encounters espionage, danger, betrayal, and a controversial love. But it may all be worthwhile when he makes a remarkable biblical discovery.