Straddling reality and fiction, this novel traces the journey of Ulysse, an engineer with SNCF, the French national railways, and his two colleagues, who have dedicated their lives to building rail freight links across Europe and Asia. These trains, symbols of unity and dialogue between peoples, embody a vision of openness threatened by geopolitical tensions, particularly those linked to Russia and the war in Ukraine that began on February 24th, 2022. The narrative unfolds like two threads that cross, then cross again: on one side, a story; on the other, an introspective journey. Through this railway adventure, the protagonists invite the reader to reflect on contemporary issues blending economics, geopolitics, psychology and philosophy. The transition from an old world built on trade and rules, with its trains, to a world where some seek to impose the law of the jungle. These are all subjects the reader will be surprised to discover in this adventure, and for which they may perhaps find a perspective, or even answers.
