Ashes in the Snow tells the poignant story of Lina Vilkas, a 16-year-old heroine separated from her family during Stalin's reign of terror in the Baltics during World War II. Lina, an aspiring artist, risks her life using her art to secretly send messages to her imprisoned father to let him know she is still alive. It is Lina's paintings and the power of the human spirit that keep her and the other survivors alive during the long and harrowing winter journey.