Bruno Daldossi is a successful war photographer. For many years, he has worked for Hamburg’s „Estero“ magazine, reporting from crisis regions, such as Chechnia, Iraq, Sudan, and Afghanistan.
Now, at the age of sixty, he avoids embarking on such dangerous missions. When his long-term partner Marlis leaves him for another man, Daldossi loses his footing.
His sadness over the loss of their shared life and love in Vienna eventually gives way to more existential questions inspired by his work: how much suffering can we take? How much truth can we tolerate? What degree of closeness and empathy is good for us?
Daldossi forms a friendship with journalist Johanna, who is travelling to the Italian island of Lampedusa for work. He joins her but ends up trying to win Marlis back, understanding that he needs to take responsibility for at least one of his most important encounters with another human being.
A densely woven, concise, poetic and thrilling story about journalistic truth-finding, war, crises and the love of our lives — written by acclaimed Austrian novelist Sabine Gruber