This is a true story about two boys, Istvan and Frici, who live two kilometres but worlds apart in Romania. One is Catholic, one is Jewish. Yet when the Second World War breaks out, the familiar world with its clear divisions disintegrates. On their parallel journeys, both young men leave their families and homeland to an uncertain future for a shot at freedom in Australia.

This epic book, spanning two continents, recounts the story of three generations of two families whose lives unexpectedly intersect in their adopted country. Beautifully capturing the loss faced when war dislocates families, it also tells of the struggles and challenges of starting anew and adapting to a different way of life.