The story of Hans and Michael is told from a retrospective perspective. The two boys spend the early years of their lives on neighboring farms in a small village called Luxin in Silesia. In 1944/45, their families leave their homeland. The flight to the west, away from the advancing Russians, is filled with hardship and danger during long, icy winter months. Once best friends, a deep, destructive enmity develops between them over the years, fueled by the deliberate manipulation of family members. After a bitter struggle, their paths diverge. Hans is doing well; he has friends, seeks what is meaningful to him, follows the trail of freedom he believes in, and becomes an artist. Michael, successful as a journalist, becomes engulfed in the shadow of his mother. It is an exciting, moving tale of closely connected, conflicting souls, passionate and dramatic. With the surprising twists of events, the question of chance and fate looms large.