The explosive perils of adolescence, a country falling apart, the overwhelming vertigo of striking out abroad: this is life in which love is only one of many obstacles. From Sarajevo to the darkest heart of Africa, deepest Slovenia, and the melting pot of Chicago, this collection is shot through with humour and truth.

On 2 March 1908, Lazarus, a young Russian Jewish immigrant to Chicago, tried to deliver a letter to the city's Chief of Police. He was shot dead. After the shooting, it was claimed he was an anarchist assassin and an agent of foreign operatives who wanted to bring the US to its knees.