Karen Blixen is the centerpiece of this story about love and destiny. In circles around her, seven men move, each of whom tells about violent and decisive incidents in their lives, often with the erotic as a common feature.

The seven narrators of the novel are:

Wilhelm Dinesen: Karen's father, a restless and brave soldier.

Thomas Dinesen: Blixen's brother, a close and loyal friend.

Denys Finch Hatton: The big love of her life.

Farah Aden: Blixen's household steward in Africa.

Thorkild Bjørnvig: Poet and a close friend of Karen Blixen.

Otto Casparsson: A Swedish waiter and vagabond.

Morten de Coninck: The rich merchant's son from the story "The Supper at Elsinore."