The novel deals with a middle-aged man's memories of childhood abandonment as he embarks on a walking trip through Germany.

[1] Futh, a recently separated middle-aged Englishman, takes a ferry to the Continent for a hiking trip through Germany.

He brings with him memories of his mother abandoning him while he was still a child, his father's constant philandering, and his wife's infidelities.

When Futh and Ester's paths meet, the consequences are disastrous... Jenn Ashworth of The Guardian called the novel "a chilly, heart-wrenching story".

[2] Boyd Tonkin, reviewing the book for The Independent, described it as "[d]isquieting, deceptive, crafted with a sly and measured expertise".