The most famous narrative by Anna Seghers and other stories. While hiking through Mexico, Anna Seghers recalls almost dreamlike memories of a school trip in 1912 and her classmates Leni, Marianne, Lore, and Nora during once happy days. Looking back, she depicts their fates from the time of the First World War to the rise of National Socialism. Tragic stories of love, friendship, betrayal, cruelty, hypocrisy, and death. As a skilled storyteller, Anna Seghers subtly blends past and present, home and exile, often within a single sentence. She immerses herself once more in the magic of her youth, condenses the two world wars into a single catastrophic event, and expresses her horror at the present reality of the Third Reich.