Dirk Van Vaerenbergh

After almost thirty years, Germaine, Firmin's great love, suddenly returns to her hometown. Firmin is overjoyed and determined to win Germaine's heart back, but Germaine rejects his advances. Then Mohammed Boutrous, a young and talented boxer, seeks out Firmin. He wants Firmin to train him. Firmin accepts, hoping to regain his honor and the love of his life...

In 1920s Belgium, poverty drives many to seek a fresh start across the Atlantic. Among them is Jan Leemans, an ambitious inventor from the Flemish countryside. When his early dishwasher design catches the eye of Walter, a powerful Belgian industrialist in New York, Jan is offered a life-changing opportunity. He leaves behind his beloved Marie in Kallo, promising to send for her once he’s established. But in America’s fast-paced industry, Jan becomes entangled in ambition, loyalty, and deception. Back home, Marie’s overbearing mother sabotages their connection by intercepting letters and sowing doubt. As Jan’s dreams take shape, so does the growing distance between him and his past. When Walter’s sophisticated daughter Louise sets her sights on him, Jan must choose between a dazzling future—and the love he may lose forever...