In the immediate aftermath of World War II, a young resistance fighter faces a moral crisis when he is ordered to assassinate a local communist leader. Maciek Chelmicki, a veteran of the Home Army, navigates the shifting political landscape of a Poland struggling to define its future under Soviet influence. He is tasked with a final mission that pits his loyalty to his comrades against the reality of a changing nation. The narrative employs a multi-perspective framework to capture the tension between individual idealism and the cold pragmatism of political survival. The world is defined by the physical ruins of war and the logical constraints of a society transitioning from occupation to a new, uncertain regime.

Readers and critics frequently highlight the work as a definitive examination of the psychological toll of the Polish resistance movement. Discussion often centers on the stark contrast between the protagonist's personal desires and the rigid demands of political ideology. The pacing is noted for its deliberate, heavy atmosphere that mirrors the exhaustion of a nation emerging from conflict. Many observers appreciate the author's refusal to provide easy answers regarding the morality of the characters' choices. The book remains a significant reference point for understanding the complexities of mid-twentieth-century European political history.