David Olusoga traces the residents' stories from winter 1942 to the end of the war. In the shattered ruins of Berlin, not all the residents survive. As the Berlin residents come to terms with Germany's declining fortunes following defeat at Stalingrad, members of the Jewish Sallisohn family are taken to Auschwitz — although the fate of one member, Reinhold and Ursula's young daughter Daisy, appears unclear, leading to an astonishing story of bravery and endurance. In London, the former residents of Montagu Mansions, empty after heavy bombing and government requisition, have been forced to move elsewhere. Ex-resident Blanche Gamble waits for news of her soldier husband, John, who was involved in the devastating British defeat at Singapore, while Montagu Mansions itself plays a key role in sabotage and reconnaissance missions in occupied Europe.