When a midnight messenger brings word that Riga has been invaded by Russia's Red Army, young Zaiga's predictable life in her Latvian village is upended. Her two best friends, twin girls, move away. Her own movements are curtailed and her educated parents are in danger. Russian soldiers are everywhere; the family silver is buried; diplomas, flags, and national costumes are hidden away.

A year later, Nazi Germany invades and takes control. Zaiga overhears the gossip: "the blue bus went to the jewelers" and "what of the low place?" The horrors of World War II unfold. Amid bombings and strafing, hungry refugees funnel toward Riga. Zaiga comes of age fearing for her animals, the university of Latvia, and her plan to study veterinary medicine.

Inspired by true accounts in interviews and visits to various locations in Latvia, Zaiga's story resonates today as once again children are forced to flee their homes while bombs rain from the sky.