A group of disillusioned squatters in 1980s London attempts to transition from radical rhetoric to violent revolutionary action, only to find their incompetence leads to unforeseen catastrophe. Alice, the central figure, attempts to manage the chaotic lives of her fellow bourgeois revolutionaries while grappling with her own need for purpose and belonging. As the group seeks to align themselves with more dangerous, professional militant organizations, they encounter the harsh reality of their own limitations and the destructive consequences of their political posturing. The narrative, delivered through a detached and observant lens, tracks the slow escalation from domestic squalor to genuine, albeit bungled, acts of terror.

This novel is widely regarded as a sharp, unsentimental dissection of political idealism and the fragility of the radical ego. Critics often highlight Lessing's ability to render the mundane details of the squatters' lives with a precision that makes their eventual descent into violence feel both inevitable and chilling. The work is frequently cited for its refusal to offer easy moral judgments, instead forcing the reader to confront the dangerous intersection of personal inadequacy and political fervor. It remains a significant entry in the canon of political fiction for its unflinching look at the banality of extremism.