Schwaigern is a small town in southern Germany that was the location of ferocious World War-II action that begins this story of historical fiction based on actual events. A US Army sharpshooter (fictional) is the focus character who, fifty years later, becomes part of a reunion in Schwaigern in which his family and army buddies become part of stunning revelations. A series of twists begin with a granddaughter who learns with despair of her grandfather's wartime activities, then is befriended by a classmate and her mother, a native German of Swabian heritage who invites them to her Lake Constance home. One adventure after another unfolds into a succession of discoveries leading to legendary Empress Gisela, "the beautiful Swabian princess" and her home, castle Hohentwiel, that was destroyed by Napolean's command. Hohentwiel is currently the largest castle ruin in Germany and becomes a major shaping influence on the granddaughter. The story leads back to Schwaigern and discovery of her grandfather's wartime secrets in a storybook setting, the Hansel and Gretel house.