Written by a former arms control negotiator turned historical novelist, this epic WWII tale of betrayal and second chances details how a woman trapped in occupied Russia fights the Nazis—and her own demons.



For fans of Kate Quinn and Mark Sullivan, a haunting World War II novel of mistakes and second chances, of courage and the search for forgiveness, and of finding peace with oneself.



Driven by a blind devotion to the Communist Party, self-centered Katya Karavayeva has broken the most important rule in Soviet society: never say anything that can be used against you. On the heels of that betrayal, Nazi Germany invades and the Soviet Union mobilizes. Katya hopes to halt her downward spiral by joining the volunteer militia, but within a few short weeks finds herself under attack.



After escaping with another volunteer, Katya spends weeks on the run before landing in a town under Nazi occupation. There, she finds a place and a purpose and learns to fight a different kind of war, repaying German brutality with a harsh justice of her own. All the while she struggles against her inner demons and dreams of reunion with her daughter and forgiveness from her husband—the one she betrayed.