Planet 8 - for centuries a blessed, serene, self-sufficient place - unexpectedly enters the Ice Age. The scene changes dramatically and the inhabitants begin the struggle for survival, a struggle against the elements of nature that seems disproportionately unequal.
Combining the events of the bleak present with the myths of a glorious past, Doris Lessing creates an ingenious allegory that reflects and redefines the history of our world from its inception to the present day.