A drama of passion and privation unfolds in this extraordinary novel, acclaimed at once for its gemlike prose and its hypnotic intensity. A scientist, a lover of life, a man of powerful sensual appetites unexpectedly finds himself tested in the crucible of history. In a city under siege, nearly wrung of life and hope, he is faced with a life-or-death choice-an occasion for him to betray not only the woman he loves but also the principles he holds most dear.