On the eve of World War II, Egon Schneider --- a gallant and successful Jewish doctor, son of two world-famous naturalists --- escapes Germany to an uncertain future across the sea. Settling into the unfamiliar rhythms of upper Manhattan, he finds solace among a tight-knit group of fellow immigrants, tenacious men and women drawn together as much by their differences as by their memories of the world they left behind. They each suffer degradations and triumphs large and small, but their spirits remain unbroken. And when their little community is faced with an existential threat, these strangers rise up together in hopes of creating a permanent home.