The three stories of the triptych concern women caught up in historical events across almost 500 years of Haitian history, beginning with the time of Christopher Columbus's exploratory voyages to the New World and ending in the 1970s with the repressive measures of the Be be Doc Duvalier regime. These three uncompromising portrayals of women caught up in life-threatening situations form Anna Seghers's testimony work, demonstrating her lifelong concern as a revolutionary writer to give voice to those marginalized in history. Also included here is the 1948 essay Seghers wrote about the life of Toussaint Louverture and his pivotal role in the Haitian Revolution.