In Nazi-occupied Poland, Eli Rosen loses his construction company when it is "Arayanized." Taking over the business, unscrupulous profiteer Maximilian Poleski will protect Eli and his family—if Eli stays on as the manager. After the war, Eli and his son are in a displaced persons camp, and his wife is missing. Two decades later, Eli rents a room in Chicago, and in this multi-faceted novel by the author of Defending Brita Stein, he navigates unfamiliar streets and dangerous political backrooms, searching for the truth.