Nahoko Fort-Nishigami

The Aurora Borealis is a story of family that is rich in twists and turns. It breaks the depths of the relationship between mother and daughter. A successful lawyer in Vienna, Olga is called back to Hungary when her old mother, Mary suddenly falls into a coma. While Mary is floating between life and death, Olga finds a deeply silent secret. The increasingly passionate research leads back to the post-war Europe of the '50s.

On the last day of the Munich Oktoberfest, the paths of different people cross: While Birgit questions her marriage to Max, single father Richard is caught in a conflict between his young lover and paternal responsibility - his son, whom he only sees very rarely, has been looking forward to an evening with him; but Richard also needs to talk things out with his young love. Meanwhile, some crazy Italians come to Munich. Alessandro falls in love with a newly married Japanese woman. A traditional showman's family fights against ruin and an embittered young wheelchair user who keeps the officers at the local police station in suspense with hidden threats...

Making phone calls, sending money, surfing – that's what people come to a Viennese call shop for: homesickness and love, worry and hope, doubt and uncertainty – all of this is discussed in the phone booths, where origins and affiliations are full of contradictions.

The Maynards and their children lead an almost perfect billionaire family life. Amon is a passionate hunter, but doesn’t shoot animals, as the family's wealth allows them to live totally free from consequences.

Professor Karl Michaeli is a former star cellist and grantler , as he is in the book. After the death of his beloved wife Maria in 2014, the retired music professor lives alone in a three-room apartment in Vienna. To his displeasure, several foreign families are housed in his apartment building. The widowed, free-spirited apartment building owner Esther Polgar also houses refugees in his home. These are a special thorn in Karl's side.

American investment fund buys Austrian companies, but also takes over politics in Vienna. Money still makes the world go round.