Set in the southern reaches of the eighteenth-century Russian Empire, from Astrakhan to Orenburg, the story portrays the fate of an Armenian refugee and his struggle to establish himself in a new environment. After surviving Erzurum, wars, and loss, Yesayi Makarov becomes a salt merchant and pins his hopes on his son, Bogdan. During Pugachev’s Rebellion, paternal authority clashes with the son’s yearning for freedom. Amid historical turmoil, questions of honor, power, and human solidarity come to light.