Jacob Todd is abroad on his own, visiting his grandfather's grave at the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem in Amsterdam. There, he meets elderly Geertrui, who tells an extraordinary story of love and betrayal, which completely overturns Jacob’s view of himself and his country, and leads him to question his place in the world. Jacob's story is paralleled in time by the events of the dramatic day in World War II when retreating troops were sheltered by Geertrui’s family.
