A love story and political thriller with autobiographical elements all in one. The central character, scientist Antoni, tells a journalist the story of his life, his great love for Justyna, a member of the resistance who has followed him through many years of imprisonment all across the country. On a second and third level the same events are told from the viewpoint of the Communist Czarnocki and of the Russian functionary Lomakin. In this exciting novel Szczypiorski has created a clear picture of the events and background forming of European history of this century to the present day.