The four men accompanying Maud on the aid convoy are very different from the clichéd image of humanitarian volunteers. One by one, they reveal the secret wounds that have brought them to this conflict zone and, mile by mile, the true nature of their cargo becomes clear.
Prize-winning author, Jean-Christophe Rufin offers up a powerful psychological literary thriller that asks vital questions about the roll of humanitarian action in today’s world, bringing to light the most fundamental dilemmas of our age. As a new kind of violence insinuates it’s way into the heart of Europe, this novel asks whether it might not be more effective to take up arms against the enemy rather than attempt to counter violence with benevolent acts and enlightenment ideals?