Waiting for Anya is set in a French mountain village during World War II. A young shepherd named Jo helps the villagers smuggle Jewish children over the mountains into Spain to escape the Nazis. One of the children being helped is named Anya, who became separated from her father Benjamin in Paris. Throughout the novel, Benjamin waits in the village hoping that Anya will return to him. With the help of Widow Horcarda and his grandfather, Jo works to guide the children to safety, despite the risks of being caught by the German troops patrolling the area.