This third volume in indonesian political prisoner Pramoedya Ananta Toer's masterwork continues the adventure of Minke, the Dutch educated journalist, as he and his country move into the twentieth century.

Settling in a new town to begin medical school, Minke is determined to leave behind the tragedies of the past. But once again this intelligent, compassionate man finds himself caught up in the injustice of colonial exploitation.

As he struggles not only to understand his world, but to change it, Minke embarks on a personal odyssey of self-discovery that takes him and the reader through the colorful and turbulent world of the Dutch East Indies.