The story takes place in three periods: the present, the past, and in a stream of consciousness that randomly appears throughout the novel as thoughts appear to us every day. This is written in italics and is semiautobiographical.
The Holocaust is only a small part of the story. The actual story is about local, prominent men, who belong to the same restricted country club and who engage in projects, at taxpayer expense, that nets them huge profits. They think that their actions benefit the city but, in actuality, are harmful, wasteful and destructive.
There is a portrait gallery in the Quail Roost Club that features portraits of these important club members with vivid descriptions of their activities and actions. The president of the club takes a Jewish real estate agent on a tour of the gallery even though the club is restricted.
The novel also delves into aging, time, survival, and the meaning of existence. It briefly mentions the death of Jesus. The novel also deals with how nefarious Nazis are able to escape to South America and then to the United States and how they deal with guilt, evil, and denial. Love, sex, humility, humanity, and humor are also subjects that are covered in this novel.
The fact that I was the only Jew in two of the schools I attended and how it affected me through the stream of consciousness is a vital part of the story. Being a minority person seems to have bothered other people more than it bothered me, but I was confronted with problems that most people didn't face.
