The narrative of a Jewish family in Hungary across three generations as they rise from humble beginnings to positions of wealth and power in the fading Austro-Hungarian Empire. The patriarch rises to prominence as a judge but is divided when his government endorses anti-Jewish persecution. His son converts to Christianity in order to further his career as a champion fencer and Olympic hero, but becomes a victim of the Holocaust. Finally, the grandson recognizes that his ultimate allegiance must be to himself and his ancestors after surviving war, revolution, tragedy, and treachery.