When a plane crash leaves Charlie Bassett temporarily signed off from the RAF, he receives unexpected orders - to locate the elusive, pregnant Grace Baker and bring her home. But Grace, who has been following the armed forces across Europe, clearly does not want to be found, and despite Charlie's personal stake in it, this bizarre and challenging mission is still one he would rather avoid. Nevertheless, Charlie finds himself journeying to France in a truck named Kate, with a dubious, eccentric Army Major and his loyal Private - two men who are evidently going about mysterious duties of their own. Still bearing the scars of his 28 flights with the RAF, Charlie is quickly forced to learn the harsh reality and politics of land battle at the tail-end of WWII, facing the very towns he recently helped to destroy from the air and forming obscure friendships along the way. And as Charlie moves slowly towards the front-line on this increasingly intriguing, exhilarating road trip, so too does he draw closer to the woman he once loved and lost...