About the title
1942, occupied Europe. Having ended up in a concentration camp, Gilles Kremieu, a Belgian Jew, passes himself off as Persian — his only chance of staying alive. The lie truly does save his life, but Gilles has no idea yet at what cost. Delighted by such a rare catch, German soldiers bring Gilles to the camp's cook, Klaus Koch, who dreams of moving to Iran and opening a restaurant there once the war ends. Koch is looking for a real Persian to teach him to speak the language. Thus begins the story of Gilles Kremieu and Klaus Koch — a Jew and a German, a prisoner and a jailer, a student and a teacher.