"Once we cross this mountain, you will be free!"

In the fall of 1963, these words stirred seventeen-year-old Elizabeth's heart as she and her guide approached the densely wooded slopes of the Alps. For so long, she dreamed of escaping the clutches of communism in Eastern Europe and fleeing to the West to pursue her dreams, but now her heart pounded with fear. Had she made the right choice? Would they make it across the border without the guards spotting them?

Little did Elizabeth know this grueling trek over the mountains was only the beginning of a nightmare she would battle for years to come...or that true freedom, peace, joy, and healing would come from the most surprising, tender places.