When Hamburg was still French.
Hamburg, 1812. The merchant family Brestetten resides in a large house located directly on Gänsemarkt. Sophia Benedikt, a cousin living with the Brestettens, misses her parents and especially her brother Christopher, a botanist who is lost in China. These are difficult times. Emperor Napoleon's armies are sweeping across almost all of Europe. As the most important city in the now French-controlled northern departments, Hamburg is a hub of lavish parties and great misery, a gathering place for soldiers, spies, and agents. The head of the house, Arnold Brestetten, initially believes he can adapt to the new circumstances. But when a French officer and his entourage take up quarters in his home and business suffers due to the continental blockade, smuggling becomes the only escape for many. These are times when distinguishing between saviors and traitors, good and evil, becomes increasingly difficult. As resistance against the occupiers begins to stir in Hamburg, the residents of the house at the Goose Market must decide where their loyalties lie, with far-reaching consequences for Sophia.
