Ina Rilke Volgorde van de boeken (chronologisch)

The owner of a bookshop is a red-haired giant trapped in his own solitude. One rainy afternoon, Étienne Vollard accidentally injures a little girl, Éva, in a car accident. In the hospital, he meets Éva's mother, Thérèse, a struggling single parent who dreams of escaping her responsibilities. Both are engulfed in guilt: Thérèse for being late to pick up her daughter and Vollard for not stopping in time, even though he knows Éva seemed to throw herself in front of the car. Vollard visits Éva regularly while she is in a coma, reading to her, while Thérèse's visits become infrequent. When Éva wakes up, she is mute and severely weakened. After Éva is sent to a rehabilitation center, Thérèse takes a job far away and asks Vollard to visit her daughter. Vollard begins to enjoy their walks in the mountains, sharing stories and poems in an attempt to reach Éva, whom he affectionately nicknames "La Petite Chartreuse." Despite his efforts, she remains unresponsive and continues to decline. Concerned for her well-being, Vollard resolves to find Thérèse and bring her back to her daughter before it’s too late.

Omdat hun vaders politiek verdacht zijn, worden twee achttienjarige Chinese jongens tijdens de Culturele Revolutie voor heropvoeding naar het platteland gestuurd.

Op historische gegevens gebaseerd relaas van de levens van twee Afrikaanse prinsen die in 1837 naar Nederland werden ontvoerd.