Hans-Ulrich Treichel's narrative revolves around a family whose life seems unremarkable: after fleeing from the eastern territories in the last year of the war, they successfully build a new existence during the economic miracle. However, there is one all-consuming theme for them: the search for their firstborn, Arnold, who was lost during the trek. "Arnold is not dead. He hasn't starved." This is what the little brother and first-person narrator learns one day from his parents: "It was then that I began to understand that Arnold, the undead brother, played the leading role in the family while I was assigned the supporting role." In the boy's imagination, what is the parents' greatest wish becomes a nightmare: that the lost one will be found. Treichel tells this story with a laconic detachment and an incredible sense of humor, exploring the psychological effects.