Introduction
The story unfolds across two time periods: present-day New York and Munich (1978–1990), with the past told through flashbacks.
It is a family story, but the Holocaust is not merely a backdrop—it is the defining experience of the main character.
It is about persecution and survival, about dignity without accusation, about the quiet strength and courage to rebuild oneself time and again after loss, and about a special friendship that spans a seven-decade age gap.
Characters
Aunt Sophie: The book’s main character. Dry, wise, unsentimental—a woman who turns loss into action rather than lamentation, who, at over ninety, still organizes charity galas and stands up to muggers. Her voice carries the book.
Josef: Sophie’s husband—not a villain, but a man whom fear and weakness turn into a traitor, whom Sophie ultimately forgives nonetheless.
Roman: Narrator and the framework through which Sophie’s story is passed on to the next generation.
Christiane, Claudia, Ellen: Three women in Roman’s life who—as reflected in Sophie’s comments—reveal the values Sophie herself upholds.