Financial ruin, chronic illness and children forced to leave their parents doesn't make for the happiest start to any book. Those are the burdens facing the two siblings, Louise (who takes after her aunt) and Lorentz (who takes after his father). Due to circumstances beyond their control, Louise and Lorentz's parents send them to live with their wealthy grand aunt, Margaret. The agreement was sealed, at least as far as Aunt Margaret is concerned, on the condition that she, and only she can make decisions relating to the children's upbringing. On top of that, Peer and Merle, the impoverished parents, must give up any right to ever see the children again. Lorentz meets his father again in later life. He admires the father and wants to be like him. From that point on, Lorentz's quest for spiritual enlightenment begins. Though this is a stand alone novel, the author writes about Peer's earlier life in his earlier book ' The Great Hunger'

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