Acclaimed by critics as an essential biography, it is distinguished by a wealth of material and provides a vivid portrayal of the relationship with Alma Mahler-Werfel. Furthermore, it is brilliantly narrated. Peter Stephan Jungk, who has conducted conversations with contemporaries and friends in America and Europe, has traced Werfel's life path, a journey that leads from Prague through Vienna and Venice to Sanary-sur-Mer in French exile, ultimately culminating in a daring escape to California. It becomes clear how profoundly external personal and political events have influenced his literary work.