Fredrik Welin, a former surgeon, lives alone on a small island in the archipelago. Something has happened to him that he refers to as "the catastrophe," and he believes he has come to terms with life. One morning, Harriet stands before him, a woman he once loved deeply but ultimately left. She is gravely ill, and she asks him to fulfill one last request. In "The Italian Shoes," Henning Mankell has written an engaging novel about love and loneliness, a book filled with humorous situations that is both thought-provoking and touching at the same time.