The Winter Vault

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In 1964 Egypt, the monumental task of relocating the Abu Simbel temple from the rising waters of the Aswan Dam falls to Avery, a young engineer. As he meticulously oversees the dismantling and reconstruction of the temple sixty meters higher, he is also joyfully building a life with his new wife, Jean. However, the floodgates' opening brings irreversible changes: entire villages will be submerged, graves relocated, and thousands displaced from their ancestral homes, with no engineering solution to prevent the devastation. Amidst this turmoil, Avery and Jean face a profound personal loss, leading them on separate paths through grief that take them from Egypt to Canada and beyond, exploring landscapes altered by flooding and war. Their journey intersects with that of a guerrilla painter in war-torn Poland, whose own narrative of destruction and rebuilding mirrors their experiences. The story intricately weaves historical events with the intimate struggles of its characters, capturing the universal quest for belonging and home. It is a breathtaking exploration of memory, loss, and the healing power of love, revealing how individuals and nations navigate the complexities of displacement and the search for connection.