Gabriel was a lonely child, who grew into a lonely adult. Ever since his older sister’s life was cut short by a drunken driver, he has lived in an emotional cocoon. He’s unable to express his feelings even to his wife, Laura, or his best friend, Leo. An obedient son, he had followed the lead of his parents, who were unable to talk about their daughter’s death or even to reveal anything about their pasts. Becoming a translator was Gabriel’s way to hide—behind other people’s words.

After a visit to a cemetery in Budapest during a translators’ symposium on Thomas Mann, old memories resurface. He remembers his parents speaking to each other in a foreign language and the taste of the Magyar food his mother used to cook.

Back in London, when his wife announces that she is pregnant, Gabriel finds that he needs to leave the house. But it is not just a short break. He leaves his wife without a word—and never returns. After months of wandering the streets of London, he walks into a synagogue. Deeply moved by the prayers and songs, he sets out to write his confessions in order to free his soul.