The Wound Closest to the Sun

The novel plays out in three historic frames: 1919 Bavaria, Germany; Second World War France; France in 1960. We meet the main character, Yann, in 1960. He is a semi-retired French journalist, professor, and Camus scholar who is plagued by a lifetime of regrets. He finds hope in an unforeseen friendship with Klaus, the only son of Karl, a German soldier who saved Yann's life in 1919. Klaus is a depressed young man burdened by history and challenged by the stories that he encourages Yann to revis