At a birthday party for her daughter, former archaeologist Silva Dibra notices that her brother, Arian, looks worried. It seems that during recent maneuvers, he and other tank corps officers had refused an order to surround a Party committee. Soon he is dismissed from the army, arrested, and taken away. Silva sets out to learn her brother's fate and enlists the help of several friends and family members. Their investigation leads them from the capital of Albania to the steel mills in the north, and even across the Chinese border. On the way, Silva rediscovers her family's tragic past and tries to come to terms with the grim future of her country.But things are more desperate than they seem for, unbeknownst to them, China is trying to break ties with Albania and is using its control of the steel mills, as well as secret alliances inside the Albanian government, as levers. No one really knows how deeply China is involved in the troubles back home, except for maybe Skender Bermema, a famous writer and a friend of Silva's, who is sent to China on a fact-finding mission. What he uncovers is the horror of Mao Zedong's China: a nation that drains away one's individuality, independence, and creativity. Perhaps Mao's true agenda will be revealed at a mysterious gala concert held in Peking. The handpicked members of each foreign delegation who are invited think so, and attempt to decipher, in the colors, figures, and gestures of the Chinese actors, some message that might clue them in. It isn't until the curtain closes and the lights go up that they receive the news for which they waited, and it shocks them beyond their wildest imaginings. Read Less