Thenovel centers on the story of Nizams tormented love affair with a Russian pianist, Anya, and is told against the backdrop of the Ottoman Empires tumultuous history in the years leading up to WWI.

Underlying the novels tale of war and love and Altans absorbing exploration of the inner lives of a vast cast of characters, is a fierce criticism of masculinity and of its degeneration into violence against women, nationalism, and authoritarianism.