Summary

The novel takes place in the February of 2018. Chapter 1, “The Call,” opens on the protagonist, Noé “Noah” Selvaggio. He lives in New York City. He is a recently retired chemist, and he will be 80 years old in a few weeks. He is Jewish and is originally from Nice, France. His family fled to the United States when the Nazis invaded, when Noah was four years old. The one exception was Noah’s mother, Margot, who remained in France until 1944 in order to take care of her ailing grandfather. Noah’s wife, Joan, who was also a chemist, died a few years ago; Noah misses her and sometimes has imaginary conversation with her in his head. Noah’s younger sister, Fernande, who was a retired secretary also died a few years ago. Noah’s mother, Margot, died in 1992. Noah misses them as well. Noah plans...