Thomas Haemmerli is about to celebrate his fortieth birthday when he learns of his mother's death. A further shock follows when he and his brother Erik discover her apartment, which is filthy and full to bursting with junk. It takes the brothers an entire month to clean out the place. Among the chaos, they find films going back to the 1930s, photos and other memorabilia. Gradually they piece together a strange and unique family saga, in which baronesses and counts, Latin Lovers and Nazi officers play a role, and even the young Kofi Annan makes an appearance. A fast-paced and surprisingly funny story about an unusual legacy.