Desperate tale of a family’s survival during the winter of 1944, a time the Dutch call Hongerwinter. Papa and older sister, Els, are away as resistance fighters, and Mamma has died. Alone, thirteen-year-old Dirk must safely transport himself and little sister Anna across NAZI-held countryside to rejoin their relatives. They meet many people, but they never know who is friend or who is foe.
Can Dirk and Anna escape the Nazis before it's too late?

In late 1944, the Nazis have their sights set on expanding their empire by conquering the Dutch. In response, 13-year-old Dirk's papa leaves everyone he loves behind to fight with the Resistance. After the Gestapo snatches his older sister, Dirk learns they'll come for him next. A knock on the door in the middle of the night catapults Dirk and his 6-year-old sister, Anna, into a frightening journey as Dirk suddenly finds himself solely responsible for protecting her. Together, with only the food they can carry in a small bag, the siblings set out on a desperate journey across the Netherlands to find their grandparents, father, and sister.

Dirk's greatest challenge comes when he must decide whether to stay in a house targeted for bombardment or request help from a powerful but untrustworthy man--a German officer who deserted.