A sumptuous novel of war, survival and enduring love.
If he had died, I would know it in my heart.
In 1939, Anton, a captain in the Polish army, says goodbye to his wife, Elisabeth. He is leaving to defend their homeland against the invasion by Nazi Germany and Russia. They make a vow that - whatever happens, however much time passes - they'll meet again at the Winter Palace, their stately home in the Polish countryside.
The winds of war draw them far apart. Anton is captured and sent to slave in a Siberian logging camp. He joins other POWs in a lost army that battles through snowstorms and scorching deserts in Central Asia. They finally arrive in Jerusalem, where the allies are preparing to invade Nazi-occupied Europe. Anton survives, driven by his determination to join Elisabeth again.
The Winter Palace is taken over by the German army, and Elisabeth is forced to be the 'mistress' of a Nazi officer. She is sent to work in an army brothel but escapes to join the Polish resistance. After the war ends, Anton and Elisabeth are at the opposite ends of the world. He is mistakenly told that she is dead. After nearly going mad with grief, he emigrates to start a new life in Australia. Elisabeth, meanwhile, waits for Anton to return for months and then years. Will they ever meet again at the Winter Palace?
From 1930s Europe to present-day Australia, this is a sweeping story of love that cannot be broken by time, distance, war or even death.
