In the final, tense months of World War I, a young girl's quiet life in a Suffolk village is upended when she forms a clandestine bond with a German prisoner of war. Elvira, the protagonist, finds herself navigating the rigid social expectations and intense anti-German sentiment of her rural community. Her objective is to assist the prisoner in his escape, a choice that forces her to confront the moral complexities of loyalty and national identity. The narrative, presented through a third-person perspective, captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of a home front gripped by fear and the looming threat of zeppelin raids.

This novel is characterized by its quiet, introspective approach to the historical fiction genre. The narrative focuses on the internal development of its young protagonist rather than the grand scale of the battlefield. It suggests a somber, realistic tone that emphasizes the human cost of conflict within a small, insular community. The story likely appeals to readers interested in the social history of the First World War and the complexities of childhood morality in times of crisis.