A novel about an unusual pair of friends – humorous and warm hearted, sad and uplifting, wise and inspiring.
For more than forty years Vita Maier has been living in the same apartment. She moved in as a young mother, but her son has long since left home, and her husband has died many years ago. As far as her neighbour is concerned, a student who goes by the name of Lazy, Vita is no more than the old woman upstairs, for Lazy has eyes for no one but his girlfriend Elsie. But then Lazy falls ill, and Elsie and the future vanish.
One day, Vita stumbles across a thin and exhausted Lazy in the staircase and takes him up with her to put him on his feet again with the help of a few sausage sandwiches. An unusual, amusing and strangely close friendship results. Then comes the day when a new blood count puts an end to all optimism. «I’m opting out», says Lazy. «I’m coming too», says Vita. And so two world-weary characters set off on their last crazy journey.
A book about the zest for life and its opposite, about the beauty of life and friendship, told in a unique and completely fresh voice.