A young East German man's pro-Socialist mother comes out of her coma after the fall of Communism in 1990 and to protect her health, he goes to great lengths to keep the truth from her.

At the beginning of World War II a hostile chance encounter in the skies above the harsh Norwegian wilderness leaves two aircraft, one British, one German, shot down in a remote and isolated region. By strange coincidence the crews seek shelter in the same cabin. They must battle to survive the brutal winter in order to get back to the war and to fighting one another. Although war has made them enemies, as the days go by animosity proves hard to maintain....

The adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune.