Benioff's tale of two Russian soldiers during the siege of Leningrad is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. Lev and Kolya, both Russian prisoners, are given a chance to win their freedom if they find a dozen eggs for a Soviet colonel to use to make his daughter's wedding cake. In a city under siege, eggs are impossible to find, and the pair has to take a dangerous journey behind enemy lines, running into an eccentric cast of supporting characters, including a full brothel and a tiny, fierce female resistance sniper.