In 1939, life is good for Charlie Scudder and his fellow members of Psi Upsilon at Dartmouth College. Drinking, poker and hockey are favorite activities at the house. Following graduation, however, war breaks out in Europe and the course of Charlie's life suddenly turns in a very different direction.

Charlie's cherished experiences at college do not prepare him for unprecedented future events that challenge him mentally, morally, and physically. He is surrounded by war, and his actions now have profound consequences for himself and the people he loves, especially when he befriends Frieda Pelle, a charming secretary in Germany.

Awakening is an atmospheric tale, bringing to life Dartmouth, New York, and Europe in the age of the "Greatest Generation." Told with rich, historical detail and anchored in time by colorful facts, it is the story of a boy becoming a man as he learns the value of character over beauty and the need to courageously answer when duty calls.