The book, set against the backdrop of the onset of a civil war, is the story of a young boy, Keev, who discovers the vagaries and purpose of life in the most unexpected of situations. The protagonists of the book must overcome the tussle between their dangerous circumstances and their instinctive judgment to come out unscathed during the trials that they are faced with. As the forces on either side move in for what they determine to be the final debilitating offensive to bring the war to a close, they are both caught up in a bizarre swap of positions. The commander of the Alliance and the rebels, Cantilly and Bilal respectively, recognize this but are also resigned to it. The novel communicates the repercussions of neo-colonialist conflicts on the quotidian intellect of an individual and society, and its futility.