Fate brought them together as children. Heritage forced them apart as war swept through their German homeland. Now they are thrown together again, on Madagascar, "The Island of Lost Spirits" - a land of mystery and magic, where they may find the seeds of hope . . . or the makings of destruction. The first shipment of Jews sets out for Madagascar, the new Jewish homeland, and Solomon, Miriam and Erich once again find their fates inseparably bound together. Solomon is the designated leader of the community of Jews, who hope to build a new home for themselves in a land free of the Nazi terror. Erich, the purported Nazi commander, must vie for power with Otto Hempel, who has far different plans for the future of the Jews in Africa, and as his control of the canine unit he commands begins to slip, he finds himself torn between his loyalty to his friends and his duty to the Nazi party. Miriam must endure life as the pregnant wife of Erich Alois, denying her Jewish heritage while the flame of her love for Solomon grows ever stronger. As they struggle to build a settlement on unfamiliar soil, the mysterious workings of native African magic and the Nazis' evergrowing hatred for the Jews forces the characters to make difficult - and life-altering - choices.