The story begins in 1922, when Europe was recovering from the First World War, and covers an era of historical value. An embattled Hungarian journalist, Zoltan Torday, lives in Transylvania, then occupied by Rumania. He endures harassment and personal injury for his views, and for being Hungarian. When the communist take over, pressure is put on Zoltan to join the party, but he refuses, which leads to tragical complications. This story explains how events shaped our present map of Europe.