Poland 1939.

It is the Russian occupation, not the German invasion, which destroys the aristocratic Kolbeck family. In 1940, they and hundreds of thousands of Poles are driven like cattle into the wastes of Siberia where they are forced to labor in the cause of 'democracy'.

Stephanie's husband offended the tiles of blood and class when he brought her into the Kolbeck family. Now she has to fend for herself amongst people who not only consider her an inferior, but harbor a secret about her past which they cannot reveal.

During the horrific journey from Siberia to the northern borders of Persia, Stephanie loses nearly all those she loves, including three baby sons; and discovers the true meaning of being polish - and a Kolbeck.

R.C. Hitchinson was hailed as the 'best male novelist of his generation' in all of England.

"Seldom does an author catch such a flashing insight into the central core of human existence." - The New York Times

"A dark journey .. But through all of it a sense of the enduring power of the human race." - Chicago Sunday Tribune