An overhead close-up shows a human left hand holding open a book with white pages and black text

An overhead close-up shows a human left hand holding open a book with white pages and black text. The thumb and forefinger are visible on the left page, which bears the page number "22." The right page displays the number "23." A shadow from the hand and the top of the book falls diagonally across the right page. The text describes historical events, specifically referencing "the arrival of the Germans," "the Débâcle," "the bone-chilling cold, the hunger and the bombardments," "the aurora borealis that heralded the coming of the war," "the bicycles and carts on the roads," "the looted shops," "the displaced searching the debris for their photos and their money," "the always courteous English, the inconsiderate Americans, the collabos, the neighbour in the Resistance. X's daughter." This text contextually places the scene within World War II in the city of Paris, France, due to the direct references to German occupation, the Débâcle, and distinctly French terms like "collabos" and "the Resistance" in relation to a specific, understood "city." Above the book, out of focus, is a section of bare human skin, likely a thigh, with visible pores. Strong directional lighting illuminates the scene from the upper right.