[2][3] In 1938, a group of people attempt to leave a coastal village in Germany and cross the Baltic Sea to Sweden.

There is a boy whose father has died at sea, a Jewess named Judith whose mother committed suicide to help her flee, and a self-doubting communist named Gregor.

There is also the expressionist sculpture Studying Monk [de] by Ernst Barlach, which a pastor wishes to smuggle into safety.

[1] Kirkus Reviews called the book oblique and elusive, and wrote that despite an excellent English translation, it will only appeal to niche readers.

It is the basis for the opera Sansibar with libretto by Wolfgang Willaschek and music by Eckehard Mayer.