The novel opens amid the turbulence of the Russian Revolution, where the scars of war permeate everyday life. John Henry Estridge, an American ambulance driver, and Palla Dumont travel through a fractured land, witnessing how easily human dignity and duty are tested. Palla remains devoted to the exiled Grand Duchess Marie Romanoff while questioning her own calling to faith and service, as Estridge struggles between saving lives and confronting his personal emotions. The collapsing boundaries between front lines and civilian life intensify the characters’ inner conflicts. This part carefully establishes the moral landscape in which individual lives unfold within vast historical upheaval.
