The play begins in an unknown town that has just been occupied by a small regiment of enemy soldiers. With no alternative, the mayor of the town agrees to meet with the enemy to try to work out a plan for peaceful coexistence before the impending war goes much further. The enemy establishes a command base in his residence, making life for the mayor rather difficult as the townspeople suspect his allegiance has shifted. As the invasion and eventual occupation develops, the soldiers grapple with loneliness, spite and the hate directed at them, which is beginning to wear down their emotions. When all else fails, the solders look to the mayor, who has secretly emerged as a leader of the resistance group in town, as a last hope for them to win their war and sway the townspeople towards their side. Although at first unwilling, the mayor accepts his execution at the hands of the enemy, knowing he will give incentive to his people to keep fighting for freedom."

In this masterful account set in Norway during World War II, Steinbeck explores the effects of invasion on both the conquered and the conquerors. Occupied by Nazi troops, a small, peaceable town comes face to face with evil imposed from the outside--and betrayal born within the close-knit community.