Twenty-something Ceseli Larson is mourning the recent death of her cherished father. His passing comes as she prepares to undertake a harrowing expedition to the lost ruins of Axum, capital of an ancient kingdom, famous home of the Queen of Sheba, and the possible resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. Ceseli hopes to uncover Axum's long-forgotten archaeological mysteries on her own. What she does not count on, though, is Benito Mussolini's looming invasion of Ethiopia, which plunges her already dangerous journey into chaos. Nor does she expect the feeling she discovers for a young Italian doctor, nor the romance that blossoms between them. Love in the Land of Barefoot Soldiers is a sweeping tale of romance and war, as Ceseli is caught between the movements of empires and her growing love for a young Italian medic. History and the destruction of the modern era collide in this exciting drama.