The bunker-like Café in Tallinn known as “The Cave” is the epicenter of Estonian Bohemia during the Soviet era. There, underground, the regular patrons – the “Cavemen” – escape their sad reality through vodka and grand discussions. This novel follows the lives of these artists, musicians, writers, and philosophers. When their country gains independence, it upsets the balance they have found as societal outsiders. From the perspective of a gossip columnist, we come to see how they adjust to their newly won freedom, and what personal dramas the political change brings with it.