The story of Friedrich, an artist who moves to Berlin during the Second World War, is highly evocative of this dark time. The simple sentences and the juxtaposition of monthly events during 1942 creates a sense of impending doom, and the champagne and cocaine imbibed by Friedrich and his acquaintances provides a dramatic contrast to this. Friedrich falls in love with Kristen, later discovering that she is actually Stella, and is considered to be Jewish despite her lack of faith. Stella is, however, not all she appears to be... I thought the cover was a beautiful depiction of the relationship Friedrich believes himself to be in, as well as being eye catching. I was shocked to find that some characters are based on real historical figures, I will never forget the role that Stella played in wartime Germany. The end is chilling, as the importance of extracts from cases of Jews being informed on is revealed. An important book highlighting an important issue.