A happy family living on the western shores of the Black Sea (Eastern Rumelia) suddenly finds itself in the midst of war in 1912-13. Dimitris, the father, is killed in the war. His widow pregnant with two daughters by her side, decides to go to Thessaloniki. She gives birth to another daughter in the boat and as soon as they reach Greece the struggle for survival begins. Economic difficulties, the war 1940-41, the famine and events during the German Occupation, the British army in the city, political upheavals, ingenuity in the face of difficulties, endless erotic events...Serious and cheerful episodes alternate over time. The book consists of 37 chapters which can also be read as independent short stories. The main characters of the novel are presented in the first chapter in a light-hearted way. Humor is prevalent in most of the chapters and for this reason, it is a pleasant read and keeps the reader's interest alive.