Prologue and First Episode, 1945 Summary

Harry Mulisch, a contemporary Dutch writer, was born in Haarlem, much like his protagonist Anton Steenwijk. Mulisch's mother was Jewish and lost her family to the concentration camps and his father was a Nazi collaborator who was jailed after the war. This gives Mulisch a unique point of view on the war, suggesting a highly personal connection to the characters of his novel.

In the prologue, the writer describes the neighborhood in which the Steenwijks lived. There are four houses set close together along a quay that is bordered by water. Each of the houses bears a name. The first is Hide-away, belonging to the Beumers, then Carefree, where the Steenwijks live. Next to the Steenwijks is Home at Last, where Mr. Korteweg lives with his adult daughter. Beside the Korteweg's is Bide-a-Wee, the home of the...