Northern Lights - Drago Jančar

Josef Erdman arrives in Maribor, Slovenia, on the eve of World War II. Though he claims to be a salesman, it soon becomes apparent that Josef has no purpose in the town—and that a newcomer can expect nothing but distrust from the townspeople. Against this backdrop he witnesses the fiery shimmer of the aurora borealis and imagines the town set aflame—an omen of the coming war.