Who was he? What was he? Where did he belong? This story follows a young Jewish man and his life from his early years in Egypt, recounting his struggles with himself and those around him as he tries to find his way, and determine who he is. That struggle is evident when on the day of his Bar Mitzvah he announces his intention to go to France to train to be a Jesuit priest. But this is the time of the Second World War and he becomes very disillusioned with the priesthood as he sees his order, and especially his spiritual mentor, taking part in the betrayal of the Jewish nation. From then on he leads a double life. He marries, but has intense affairs with other women almost to the point of abandonment of his family. He is a spy for the English after the war, involving travelling back to the Middle East without really understanding his motives. This novel portrays a man struggling with himself and relationships, against the backdrop of an unsettling global conflict.