A biographical novel about a modern, self-assured woman from Cologne during a time of political upheaval, told with both intensity and lightness. Cologne in the 1930s: The nightlife is bursting with freedom and creativity. Women are discovering self-determination and creativity. The vibrant artist scene gives the bourgeois carnival a long nose at their rag balls, forming a counterpoint to the increasingly radical political climate. For young Fanny, a puppeteer at the Hänneschen Theater, it will be her first and last rag ball, as her world changes dramatically overnight.