Barely an adult, the foundling François flees from his foster parents and ends up in a shady hotel on the coast of Marseille, where he becomes embroiled in obscure dealings with "Le Boche," the German. He feels at home in this hotel, which rarely hosts guests—until a man is found dead there. François ventures into the uncertainty of New York and soon—blinded by love—moves to Montreal in Canada, where his gullibility and the harsh winter bring him close to the brink. But can one truly live without knowing who they really are? As in "Am Rand," Hans Platzgumer explores the essential, existential matters of life.