When Andreas Egger arrives in the valley in which he will spend his life, he is about four years old--no one knows exactly how old he is. He serves his uncle as a farm hand, and later joins workers building a railway and bringing electricity, along with light and noise, to the valley. The day comes when Egger meets Marie, the love of his life, whom he will eventually lose. Only many years later, at the end of Egger's journey, will she be by his side again. And he looks back with surprise on the years that lie behind him. (Translated from the cover.)