Set during a incredibly tumultuous period of the Afrikaners' development between 1914 and 1948, the story follows the lives of four young men--Willem, P.G., Gerhard, and Bennie--poor white miners who become involved in the 1914 Rebellion by chance. When the Rebellion is unsuccessful, the four young men find themselves at a crossroads: do they continue as before, or do they fight for freedom and a better future? They make the choice to fight, but each in his own way: Bennie through the church and politics, Willem through radical resistance, P.G. by means of the written word, and Gerhard through the trade unions. There and then they decide to cut open their hands and swear a pact to be blood brothers until the end. We follow their lives and see how each one falls in love and starts his own family, survives through the chaos of the 1922 mine workers' rebellion, the Depression of the 1930s, the uncertain times during World War II, and the buildup to the infamous 1948 election. But to share blood and swear to be blood brothers is one thing. To honor that oath through all the twists and turns of life is something completely different, especially when your life choice stands in stark contrast to that of your blood brother.