Zeromski's last novel tells the story of Cezary Baryka, a young Pole who finds himself in Baku, Azerbaijan, a predominantly Armenia city, as the Russian Revolution breaks out. He becomes embroiled in the chaos caused by the revolution, and barely escapes with his life. Then, he and his father set off on a horrendous journey west to reach Poland. His father dies en route, but Cezary makes it to the newly independent Poland. Here he struggles to find his place in the turmoil of the new country. Cezary sees the suffering of the poor and the working classes, yet his experiences in the newly formed Soviet Union make him deeply suspicious of socialist and communist solutions. Cezary is an outsider among both the gentry and the working classes, and he cannot find where he belongs. Furthermore, he has unsuccessful and tragic love relations. The novel ends when, despite his profound misgivings, he takes up political action on behalf of the poor.