Sam Apple is a journalist who explores the complex relationship between Austria and its Jewish inhabitants, which does not fit into traditional perceptions. His book Schlepping through the Alps describes how an encounter with a shepherd changed his view of Jewish issues.
In particular, during his research trip, Sam meets Hans Breuer, a Yiddish folksinger wandering the mountains in the Austrian Alps. As the adventure of these two characters unfolds, the narrator is introduced to Austrians of various stripes. His source of fascination is a desire to find out if Austria actually has as many anti-Semites as he fears.
It also becomes fundamental for him to discover how Hans became a wandering shepherd. The journalist learns that his fellow traveler grew up fighting the protracted Nazism in Vienna, so it is hard to imagine how his fate could have changed so much.
The journey itself turns out to be far more interesting than Apple anticipated at the beginning of the journey. Communication with Hans is appealing to the narrator because it allows him to discover answers to the questions that concern the journalist. In the beginning, he is naive, and his view of Jewish issues is somewhat distorted.
This is because Apple drew much of its Jewish experience from its Jewish grandmother. He needed a guide, someone who could tell a convincing story about the Jewish people, to fill his knowledge. Hans is fascinating to the narrator and becomes the main focus of his research as he is open to sharing information, and his story is absolutely unique.