The son of a Black American and a Russian woman travels to America to salute his American heritage. He meets a Black girl with Russian roots. Their relationship doesn't work out because the American girl distrusts the Russians, even after they rescue each other from the bandits. They part, but she finds him halfway around the world in Russia and makes him choose between her and his Russian girlfriends.

Variations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 can be read as stand-alone stories. Still, for a complete understanding of the novel's philosophy—the connecting thread that runs through the entire book, the interweaving of characters and their situations—it's better to read the Variations in numbered sequence.