Vienna 1938: The annexation of Austria is imminent. It is a time of pogroms, opportunists, informers, and fervent Nazis. In this world of upheaval, 18-year-old Ursula must find her way and decide whether to become part of the emerging terror regime or to resist. There is no longer any certainty, as in the future, all walls will have ears and someone will be listening behind every door. Ursula's brother tries to win the family over to the National Socialists, while party-loyal instructors dominate their art school. Only her friend seems to be a glimmer of hope in these times, when not only Ursula's life is threatened by all the dangers surrounding her. The breathless prose reflects Ursula's inner turmoil, despair, and existential fears. Between 1946 and 1948, Mela Hartwig wrote the novel in her London exile.