David Paul is a Jewish American whose mother lost most of her family to the Holocaust. She hates Germans, so grew up with a fear that monsters under his bed were Nazis.
As an adult, he came to suspect not all Germans were evil and he began to visit Berlin regularly, slowly coming to terms with the tragedy and to understand the German people.
David has made many friends there, but he acknowledges that before any new acquaintance can ripen, he must have a conversation about the family's wartime history.
Through lucid self-examination, David articulates a complicated process of grappling with inherited trauma, offering a relatable, if grim, view that anyone is capable of evil.