After her mother's death, Elise Braun is sent away from her native Germany to live with distant relatives in the United States. Although her father only wants to save her from the impending war and the horrors of the new regime, Elise can't help but feel abandoned.

Despite the warmth of her American family, and her great gift as a pianist, Elise is haunted by loneliness and by the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis. As she grows into a beautiful, strong young woman, Elise must reconcile her love for her adoptive country and her ties to home, and find her own place in a new and tumultuous world.