Alfred Andersch

The Cherries of Freedom: A Report centers on Andersch's desertion from the Wehrmacht. The turning-point in Andersch's life, he interpreted it not as a fear of death but as an existential vote for life, libery and all things non-totalitarian.

The Efraim of the title is journalist George Efraim, who travels to his native Berlin to investigate the disappearance of a woman during World War II. His search for her eventually becomes a journey through his own past.