The Sparrow and the Peacock is the story of the Richter house, a privileged, though dysfunctional family living in Saxony, Germany during the early 1900s. Bullied as a child, the youngest and only son, Max Richter, grows into an emotionally volatile, entitled young man, driven by ambition but devoid of human sentiment. He breaks away from his controlling family, fighting as a Stormtrooper in the Imperial German Army, where he is forced to confront a shameful truth. After the war, Max takes control of the family empire, pursuing a life of indulgence. He marries a young, gullible English girl, exposing her to an unpredictable life of drama and self-doubt, indifferent to her emotional needs and unaware of his own until it is too late.