Love in Times of Need. On May 8, 1945, a young soldier, who has deserted with false papers, returns to his bombed hometown. He is searching for bread, for shelter, and for people. "Nothing is told about the war, hardly anything about the post-war period, this Dorado of black market dealings and corruption: it only shows the people of this time, their hunger, and tells of a love story..." Heinrich Böll.