begins in the fall of 1914 as friends Gerhard Lange and Otto Schmidt are excited to receive orders to join Germany's battle with France. The two soon learn there is no glory in war. They survive but return home broken men to work alongside their fathers to restore the farming community they fought so valiantly to protect. The years pass but war looms once again, and the two families must relocate to the safety of Bavaria. Soon, a second war becomes inevitable, and Gerhard and his son Paul both find themselves in an army led by a tyrant. Despite the oppression of serving on the Eastern Front, a light is cast in Paul's direction when he encounters the lovely Ilse-Renata Chemiker. As the war rages, Gerhard worries about his family and whether there will be a future for them at all. is dedicated to those folks who are forced to fight for what they believe in, to keep their family and their country safe. Together, , and tell of the challenges and changes that external forces place on everyday people who must rise above their own expectations to meet family obligations and responsibilities: no matter how reluctant they may be to do so. They provide the reader with an opportunity to consider life from an alternate perspective.