During 1944, thirteen-year-old Vladimir Fortenbacher is living in Golenic, a small Yugoslavian village located near the Hungarian border. His world turns upside down when communist guerrillas decide to make his village their hideout. Caught in the middle of ethnic fighting, the family escapes, leaving behind everything that they have known and worked so hard for. In exactly the same year, thirteen-year-old Margaretha Wittmann is living a carefree life in Neu Pasua, another Yugoslavian village about 200 kilometers east of Golenic. Daily life continues, even amidst signs and rumors of war. Then one day the town crier's news changes her life forever. The entire village must flee from the dreaded Russian Army. Living in Austria as refugees, Margaretha's family decides to return to their homeland after the war is declared over. Their train is hijacked, and their lives turn into a nightmare when they are imprisoned in a concentration camp. Their paths cross years later, and Vladimir and Margaretha begin another journey together in the tapestry of life where silver strands of hope are woven over the black threads of despair.