At bedtime, a grandmother shares with her granddaughter their favorite story about Russia, gypsies, a field of butterflies, the Revolution, and a young woman who journeys halfway around the world to freedom.
The grandmother as a young girl, meets a family of gypsies who tell her fortune and predict a time of great pain. Years pass and the Russian Revolution is followed by World War II, and the young woman's baby is born while she is in hiding in the forest. Relying on the kindness of others, the woman, her husband, and their baby make their way to the West and freedom.
Based on a true story, described in an author's note at the end, the colorful illustration draws on Eastern European influences and reflects the triumphant nature of this family's journey to freedom.