A powerful lyrical story about the sergeant of the former Yugoslav Army Zika Kurjak, from childhood in miners' home, through military days, to severe depression, imprisonment and the metropolitan madness.
Akim, a politician, faces a tough time because of his two sons, Vukasin and Djordje. While Vukasin wishes to marry Akim's rival's daughter, Djordje and his wife do not have a child.
Bogdan Dragovic has returned from emigration, trying, for the sake of his son Vladimir, to re-establish ties with the Communist Party from which he was expelled as a Trotskyist.
The WWI is the focus of the tetralogy novel "Time of Death". It paints a broad picture of time, events, and human fates. Other than members of the Katic family, many historical individuals are among the primary heroes.