Jaap Scholten Book order

The narrative unfolds through Jaap Scholten's personal journey as he responds to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, starting with his efforts to assist a family fleeing Kyiv. His involvement deepens as he raises funds for drones and travels with an American sniper, gaining firsthand insights into the realities of war. Scholten's experiences include attending a poignant funeral in Irpin and learning about a daring mission to rescue a newborn from an underground hospital in Mariupol, highlighting the human stories amidst the conflict.

Set against the backdrop of post-World War II Romania, the narrative explores the dramatic arrest and deportation of Transylvanian aristocrats as communism rises. The Romanian Workers' Party orchestrates the dispossession of landowners, branding them as class enemies. As they endure harsh labor in quarries and factories by day, the aristocracy clings to their heritage, gathering secretly at night to uphold the rituals of their past. This dual existence highlights the clash between tradition and the oppressive new regime.

In the darkness of the early morning of 3 March 1949, practically all of the Transylvanian aristocracy were arrested in their beds and loaded into lorries. That same day the Romanian Workers' Party was pleased to announce the successful deportation and dispossession of all large landowners.