Yaffa Eliach grew up in a vibrant, happy 800-year-old town in Poland, filled with family life and rich traditions. Yaffa's grandmother was the village photographer, and took photos of all the family events: weddings, bar mitzvahs, and family gatherings.But one dark day, the town is invaded. And quickly the once happy home to 5,000 Jewish people is happy no more. Yaffa survives the war and becomes a Professor of History and America's foremost Holocaust expert. And when President Jimmy Carter invites her to create an exhibit for the new National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, she travels around the world hunting down her grandmother's photos taken of people who fled from her beloved town, along with their stories and memories.