The central event in Hilde's childhood occurred on 2 February 1945. She was a confused but compliant girl at the time. Now she is a depressed and angry old woman, who is haunted by the memory of that shameful day. For on that day in February, the ordinary citizens of her village hunted down and murdered approximately 500 prisoners who had escaped from the concentration camp in Mauthausen. This brilliant novel renders the experiences of common people caught up in the political cyclone of the time, reminding us that history is not behind us, nor is it outside us.