The novel’s main character, Josef Breuer is based on the actual person of the same name who was an eminent physician in Vienna during the late 19th century. He was a mentor to Sigmund Freud, and the novel shows how Breuer’s “talking cure” contributed to the later development of Freudian psychoanalysis. As the novel begins, Breuer had already received acclaim for his discovery of how movement of fluid in the inner ear contributes to balance. The narrative also focuses intensely on Breuer’s treatment of Anna O., a patient with multiple mental health challenges, also known in the novel as Bertha. Breuer effectively developed a protocol, initially called the talking cure, whereby he was able to help Bertha overcome some of her challenges by getting her to recognize her subconscious fears and anxieties. Breuer’s treatment of Bertha laid the groundwork for later discoveries, including those of his friend Freud, in the field of psychoanalysis and psychological therapy.

At the time of the novel, Breuer is 40 years old, an eminent physician and a member, by marriage, of one of the wealthiest families in Vienna. His life is one that most would envy; however, he does not feel like a success.