Sokor, an attorney, becomes involved in a scandal. To unravel it, he asks for the help of a friend.

In the sanatorium in Nałęczów, Halina meets Adolf Poświatowski. They both have heart disease.

The main character is Anna, an outstanding pediatrician. She survived the harsh years of war in a concentration camp and cannot accept the behavior of her daughter Natalia, who uses her connections and cares only about material goods. Anna is reminded of 1939, when Piotr, who had been missing for forty-five years, arrives in Poland. Together, they visit places that are important to them: Auschwitz, Sachsenhausen, and Ravensbruck.