With the net closing in, Haffmann proposes a dangerous, desperate pact. He will "sell" the shop to François in a legal fiction to prevent its seizure by the Nazis. In exchange, Haffmann will hide in the basement until the war ends.
In the end, the "Adieu" of the title is a farewell to many things: to an old life, to innocence, and to the illusion that one can dance with the devil without losing their steps. Е»egnaj, panie Haffmann Adieu Monsieur Haffmann ...
Joseph Haffmann, a gifted Jewish jeweller whose hands can coax light out of the dullest stone, knows his time has run out. The "Statut des Juifs" has turned his life into a countdown. He is a man of refinement and immense talent, but in the eyes of the New Order, he is merely a target. With the net closing in, Haffmann proposes a
The basement, once a storage room for silver and tools, becomes a gilded cage. Above ground, François takes Haffmann’s place. He wears the fine suits, greets the German officers who come to buy trinkets for their mistresses, and begins to taste the nectar of the oppressor’s world. He is no longer the assistant; he is the master. In the end, the "Adieu" of the title