Plot

A child escapes from Poland during World War II and first heads to Greece before coming of age in Canada.

Middle-aged Polish Jew Jakob Beer reflects on his entire life. When he was an adolescent during World War II, Nazis shot his parents dead and hauled away his sister Bella; he witnessed these events from a hideout in their home. He ran away and was found by Athos Roussos, a Greek national working on an archaeological project in Poland; Athos managed to smuggle Jakob out of Poland and into Greece. A few years later, Athos and Jakob moved to Canada where Athos began work as a teacher. Jakob constantly dreamed of Bella, especially her piano-playing, but never knew her ultimate fate. Jakob's reflections, especially the emotions stemming from his thoughts, led to him authoring a successful book. His marriage to his first wife, the upbeat, outgoing Alex, failed because he couldn't shake the somberness of his past. He couldn't commit to a relationship until he came to understand his dreams about Bella. Meanwhile, he had a lifelong friendship with his neighbors in Canada, a Jewish family who were also fighting the demons of their past.—Huggo

Fragments of past and present create a haunting kaleidoscope of words and emotions. Lyrical and complex, Jeremy Podeswa's adaptation of Anne Michael's beloved novel builds into a breathtaking mosaic as fragments of the past and present reveal the inner depths of a writer who can't let go of the ghosts that haunt him.

Athos is directing an archaological dig in Nazi-occupied Poland when he discovers a little boy hiding. After witnessing the massacre of members of his family, seven-year-old Jakob does not know the fate of his beloved sister Bella - a mystery that will haunt him for the rest of his life. As Jakob grows into a man, he becomes progressively more consumed by his family's tragedy and his longing for Bella, coloring his relationships. A truly moving and unforgettable story.