Coming of age in a Spain in the throes of 'apertura' (the political and economic 'opening' that took place in Spain during the 1980s) that followed the Transition from dictatorship to democracy.

The book opens with a horrific scene: a bomb blast in Madrid. The characters appear gradually, in real time, during the hours following the explosion. The repercussions of the bomb mingle with personal stories at a frantic pace.