Elfi Lee is born in 1940 and lives a picture-perfect life on a quiet acreage in eastern Germany. She delights in heading to the forest with her mother, Mutti, who sings hymns as the two gather boysenberries in a basket. Free to roam on the farm, four-year-old Elfi is adventurous and dreams only of exploring more each day.

As 1944 draws to a close, shadows of war creep onto the acreage. Mutti and Elfi encounter a Russian soldier on their property, her father is drafted into the Germany army, and rumors rage of an approaching enemy. On a snowy day in January 1945, as artillery fires in the distance, Elfi flees with her family to escape the advancing Red Army. They board a train headed west, destination unknown.

Now Elfi's dreams of exploring are dashed, and she longs only to hide in Mutti's arms when the journey is interrupted by air raids. After a treacherous trip west, during which Mutti assures Elfi the angels are with them, the family arrives in a suburb of Hamburg. When Elfi's father returns unexpectedly after the war, the family is thrilled. Soon, however, the daily grind of post-war Germany sets in. Food is short, and so is spiritual nourishment, as it is hard for the family to worship freely. When an offer to come to America and live near a Lutheran church arises, the family accepts. But after a journey across the sea, Elfi will need to find out if a better life and true adventure can indeed be found.