Whether you call it a mini midlife crisis or an early sabbatical, at age thirty-seven, Tom Houts leaves everything behind and throws himself into a new society thousands of miles away. The need for change and an unrelenting sense of curiosity leads him to Munich, Germany, where he must downsize European-style, learn his first foreign language, and come to terms with being an immigrant.

 

But when the pandemic hits in 2020, Tom’s plan is thrown off track. Forced to shift gears, he sees things more clearly and realizes what really matters in life. Perfect Village takes us through Tom’s Catholic upbringing, a middle-class childhood with a cloud of financial ruin always looming overhead, his career successes and failures, alcohol abuse, love, divorce, and a cast of supporting characters that any person would cherish forever.