When WWII breaks out in Amsterdam, Hetty and Fritz have not yet met. Following Adolf Hitler's rise to power and the hostile takeover of the Netherlands, armed German soldiers appear on every street. Through propaganda and increasing restrictions, hatred is cultivated towards thousands of Dutch citizens, especially Jews. They are terrorized, and forced to relinquish everything, including their homes, bank accounts, and citizenship. Then, family and friends start disappearing.
Two months after they meet, Hetty gets an official summons to relocate, and Fritz discovers the true, hidden agenda of the Nazis, yet manages to prevent her deportation. However, the couple cannot escape and are abducted late at night during a night raid. They are sent away, separated, enslaved, and starved. While being subjected to atrocities in numerous slave labor camps and concentration camps such as Camp Vught and Auschwitz, they completely lose track of one another. Yet, they miraculously manage to keep a private vow to each other to stay alive and tell the world of the horrors of war and the wonders of survival.