Lifelong Avignon native Etienne is quiet, reflective, thoughtful, often solitary, and awkward around other people. He is obsessed with the violin, convinced that the only true stories are those told through music, including his own. Others see him as strange, unbefitting of a man who will be relied upon to defend France when it falls prey to the Nazis. Etienne will rely on more unconventional means to show his bravery and help his family and country survive.
Ada has only seen Germany in desperation, she and her family have only ever known struggle and loss, even more so as the nation tries to rebuild under the strict sanctions imposed by the Allies. But as she sees the people she loves, and the nation she loves foster extremism, hatred, brutality, and fear, it is too much for her to bear. Ada's true skills lie in the quick learning and speaking of different languages, but they are frowned upon in a deeply resentful nation. Scared for her own life, she will rely on these very skills to start afresh and leave behind the nation that has fallen to evil, only to run into another war.
Philipp is part of a proud German Jewish family whom he adores. But he wants to make his own way in life, which doesn't include working for the long-established family business. However, when the Nazis come to power, his livelihood, his rights, and his humanity are stripped away from him, leaving Philipp to make a heartbreaking decision, leaving his family to stay alive.
A seemingly defeated Avignon becomes the beacon of hope for all three individuals where their lives become dramatically intertwined. Each is forced to rely upon the other to confront their personal plights and survive the total destruction that war brings
