La casa Thüringer

Romania, early 20th century. At seventeen, Adrian Zograffi—Istrati’s literary alter ego—begins working as an errand boy for the Thüringer family, shipowners based in Brăila near the mouth of the Danube. There, he witnesses the decline of a traditional society being swept aside by the emerging industrial world and takes part in organizing a historic dockworkers' strike. He encounters political corruption, the power of the press, and the blind futility of violence, while also being deeply moved by the mutual aid practiced among the most destitute. He also experiences both sensual passion and platonic love with two different women. Reality confronts him with these existential dilemmas: do social and economic logic align with moral principles? Is physical intimacy the enemy of love?