Mark Strauss, an elderly Jewish artist, and Maria Martell, a young historian of German descent, make an unlikely pair. United by their interest in history, Marek and maria constitute a force for good midst the cauldron of hatred and blood concocted by Hitler and Stalin. Maria's German great-uncle and Marek's Ukrainian half-brother are dripping with that blood, having served the gods of hatred during World War II. As Marek and Maria seek to unearth truths about their relatives, their quest leads to romance, self-discovery, and revelations about the human capacity to love.