This book is set during the era when Europe was torn apart by wars and revolutions in the mid-nineteenth century. Turkey clashed with Russia, involving other European countries that faced political turmoil and were pushed by their people for change. Traveling across Europe, going to serve in the army, or fleeing domestic strife was common at the time. This is a theme in the novel; the narrator meets travelers from various locations, occasionally brought together by fate, to tell their stories and continue their journey. A Hungarian nobleman with his son, an English soldier fighting for Croatia, or an old Austrian general can all be found here, all depicting a vivid and outrageously exciting mirror of the period.
