By 1933, life in Vienna is in chaos. The Nazis have taken over just north of the border; the rail workers are threatening to strike, and the economy is in shambles. Jean Louis Stein has completed his engineering studies, but jobs are scarce. Worse yet, his mother has not heard from his brother Franz in nearly two years. Frantic, she asks Jean to travel to the United States to search for him. Jean has no choice but to agree-he will do anything to stop his mother from crying-but his decision is about to lead him into a trap between two warring worlds.
Jean's ship docks in New York as the threat of war looms in the distance. After he finally connects with Franz, it is not long before his world turns dark once again-his mother has been captured and placed in a concentration camp along the Danube River. Through a network of operatives, Jean is soon coerced into spying for the Germans in order to keep his mother alive.
But as World War II breaks out and pandemonium envelops both the United States and his homeland, Jean is forced to make a life-altering decision once again.