In 1803, the fragile Peace of Amiens breaks down, and Anne Peters finds herself stranded in Paris, penniless and alone, in danger of arrest.
One chance of escape is offered, to flee under the protection of the dashing Count Nikolai Kirov, and make a new life in Russia as governess to his children.
In the flamboyant and demanding circle of the count, his family and friends, moving between the glittering city of St Petersburg, ancient Moscow and the wild, untamed beauty of the Caucasus Mountains, the young Englishwoman begins her transformation into Anna Petrovna.
But as Napoleon gathers his army for the final attack on Imperial Russia, Anna must prepare for a battle of the heart - her forbidden love for a man and a country she may never call her own.