The stories and memories that shape the identity of a Jewish family of Russian origin living in Finland since the beginning of the 20th century make up this humorous and semi-autobiographical novel. The stories give insight into Benno, a cornetist with the czar's army who left Russia to escape his country's anti-Semitism; his father, a bootlegger who arrived in Finland by skiing there; and his son Arje, a militant communist who fought with the Germans against the Soviets during World War II. Most important, however, is the story of Benno's grandson, in whom the trajectories of his predecessors converge and whose ironic and melancholy voice imbue all the stories with meaning as he tries to find his roots within them.