The story is based on the memoirs of a nomadic tribesman. During World War II when the allies are in Iran a Soviet Army mapping group gets lost in the Iranian desert. Two of them die of hunger and thirst and another is killed during a confrontation with a desert youth who is on his way home after doing military service. When the Soviet army goes looking for the ones who were killed it comes upon a camp of nomadic herders and finds evidence they had been through that area. The nomads are accused of killing the three Russians; the Russians arrest the men and take them to prison. The man who had killed the Russian soldier returns with other herders looking for a confrontation. Ultimately the prisoners escape and break into the armory. Many of the Soviets are killed in a revolt at their garrison.—John Green