Wilbur Smith weaves a very intense tale of love, war and despair. Upon first meeting Saffron and Gehard, you root for them immediately. As the war begins, I was able to get a glimpse of the hardships faced by so many fighting against Germany of Hitler. Saffron rises in the military, despite being a female and I love her grit! Gehard is forced to join the Nazi's as a pilot and you can feel the struggle he encounters as he attempts to perform his job while working to find a way to bring everything down. It doesn't help that his brother and ex-fiance are plotting for Gehard's downfall and when the opportunity comes, Gehard's brother doesn't waste a moment. He throws Gehard into the camps, hoping he will die. Saffron finds Gehard on his death bed. You ask does he live or does he die - you'll have to read the novel to know the ending!