Julian is a 12-year-old boy who lives in the Ruhr industrial region of Germany during the early 1960s. His family is struggling financially, and when his mother and younger sister go away for a while, he is left mostly alone in the apartment while his father works in the coal mine.
As Julian grows up, he faces numerous challenges and struggles to adapt to the confusing world of adults and older boys. He has to deal with the expectations and pressures of being a teenager, as well as the harsh realities of life in the Ruhr region.
One day, while his father is working in the coal mine, Julian's mother and younger sister return home. They leave him behind in the apartment while they go out for a while. This time, however, things take a dangerous turn. A group of bullies from the neighborhood decide to target Julian. They start by teasing him and making fun of him, but soon they become more aggressive.
The bullies throw him off his bicycle and push him into a river. Julian manages to escape, but not without getting hurt. He is taken to the hospital, where he spends weeks recovering from his injuries.
During this time, Julian begins to form close friendships with other children around his age. He learns about the importance of standing up for himself and protecting those who are vulnerable. He also discovers that there are others in the community who care about his situation and want to help.
Finally, events build up and threaten to tear the family apart. The bullies continue to harass Julian, and his parents are unable to protect him from their actions. Julian decides to stand up for himself and confront the bullies.
He gathers some courage and approaches the bullies one by one, demanding an apology and explaining that they cannot bully him anymore. To his surprise, the bullies relent and apologize, realizing that they have made a mistake. They promise to stop harassing him and leave him alone.
In the end, Julian emerges from the experience stronger and more confident than ever before. He has learned valuable lessons about the importance of standing up for yourself and standing up for others. He also realizes that sometimes, it takes a crisis or a difficult situation to make us realize our true strength and resilience.
