What will you do when society conspires against the one you love? The battle will span nearly twenty unkind years but the greatest peril may come from each other.
Synopsis:Eva Gersten is a normal German child. She comes from a conservative, working-class family. At fifteen, she falls in love with the head of a motorbike chain gang. And with a nickname like Hitler, he is a recipe for trouble. Eva Gersten hates her parents. Her African Nanny is her only friend, until her Nanny is deported by the government. Shattered, Eva runs away from home and hits the road on a journey that will lead her to the arms of three lovers and to Africa, where she discovers the enigmatic Abubakar, self proclaimed ‘ Sultan of the Sea’. In his company, Eva explores the tourist attractions of Tunisia. Then she invites him to Germany. Abu Abubakar is the black-sheep of his conservative Muslim family. His father wants him to become an imam. But Abu prefers to work in hotels as a tourist guide. Tourists’ pay good money and Abu did not care if they were infidels. Then he meets Eva Gersten. Eva is determined to have Abu come to Germany. Even if it meant an end to the relationship between her and Ursula - her mentor and lover of many years. Ursula is shattered by this betrayal, and plots revenge. Germany of the 70’s is a magic city for Abu. The city is made from light. Abu thinks he has come to paradise - but discovers quickly that grave danger and ugliness mares paradise. Racism confronts Abu everywhere. Abu meets Tanya and Jide. Tanya is the daughter of an aristocratic family. Her father is a judge. Yet, having fallen for Jide, a Nigerian refugee, she will bear the consequences of being disinherited. But there is inspiration in their story for Abu. Eva and Abu return to Africa and marry. Abu returns to Germany as a resident. Back home, his family rejects him, and conducts his funeral service. He is now an infidel. As the years pass-by, Eva and Abu struggle to keep hope alive. The society is relentless in opposition. They are from two different worlds and every passing day becomes an ordeal. Then the children arrive and things unravel quickly. For thirty years we follow them through a changing German society. From the dark days of racism to the new days of a more tolerant City, Eva and Abu will fight for each other. But in the end, the biggest danger may come from themselves.
It was actually fun to set a fiction story and characters in countries I haven't been to before. It was a very unique experience. I love challenges like that.