Allenstein, East Prussia, 1939 - Charlotte von Datski's parents hold a glittering ball to mark her eighteenth birthday and to announce her engagement to a Prussian Count. As they celebrate, Europe teeters on the brink of war, and Charlotte is forced to flee to England, but she carries a secret that both strengthens and torments her. Years on, Charlotte's granddaughter, Laura, is shocked when the truth of her grandmother's past comes to light. As Charlotte re-reads her diary and recalls the one great love of her life, she finally faces the demons that have haunted her for over half a century.