About love, the spirit of contradiction, and small acts of heroism in humanity. Solsbüll: a small town in northern Schleswig-Holstein, where the events of the 20th century have left their mark. Here, the life stories of three men intertwine, all sharing the same name: Gustav Hasse, as grandfather, father, and son. While the first two fall in the world wars, the Gustav born in 1941 grows up in a midwife's household. The fate of his grandmother Anne and his adoptive mother Gret also reflects the times: after World War I, they witness the rise of National Socialism and its catastrophic end. One of the great German family novels of the 20th century.