Summer 1918. The First World War is drawing to a close when Leon Le Gall, a French teenager from Cherbourg who has dropped out of school and left home, falls in love with Louise Janvier. Both are severely wounded by German artillery fire, are separated, and believe each other to be dead.

In a novel based on the life of the author's French grandfather, Leon and Louise must navigate the earth-shaking events of two World Wars if they are ever going to be together.