Nineteen-year-old Irena Gut is elevated to the position of housekeeper in the residence of a prominent Nazi officer in Poland. Upon learning that the Jewish ghetto is on the brink of being destroyed, she resolves to assist twelve Jewish laborers by concealing them in the most secure location she can imagine—the basement of the German Major’s home. For the following eight months, Irena employs her cleverness, humor, and extraordinary bravery to keep her friends hidden for as long as she can.