Weaving together the stories of a diverse array of characters, Böll explores the often bizarre and always very human courses chosen by people attempting to survive in a world marked by political madness, absurdity, and destruction. At the center of his tale is Leni Pfeiffer, a German woman whose secret romance with a Soviet prisoner of war both sustains and threatens her life. As the narrator "interviews" those who knew Pfeiffer, their stories come together in a dazzling mosaic, rich in satire, yet hinting at the promise of a saner world.