Life as a Balancing Act: In the unique graphic novel Moise, mein Freund ("Moise, My Friend"), Florin Moise tells his moving story. He recounts his escape from one of Romania's notorious children's homes, his life as a street child in Bucharest, his search for his own family, his work in social projects initiated by Father Georg Sporschill, and the many new beginnings and departures along his journey. His path takes him from a stable, sheltered life back to the streets, to the train station, and to drugs. Moise, as he calls himself, refuses to be captured, constantly evading his fate and making clever turns along the way. He is always on the move, even when the path leads to the edge of the abyss, pressing on where others would have long since given up.

In hundreds of colorful illustrations, Moise captures moments and memories that seem important to him, with a sharp sense for the comedy or tragedy of a situation, distilling each scene into its essence. His drawings, marked by disarming immediacy, raw intensity, and humor, invite laughter, tears, and reflection. They convey both the brutal realities of daily life and moments of celebration. There is cooking and eating, dancing and singing, and much laughter; children are born, people face grave dangers, fall ill, and die violent deaths. Suddenly, a stranger appears—a priest from Austria, bringing bread to the street children, like the ravens sent by God to the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament. For more than three decades, Moise’s life has now been intertwined with Father Sporschill's social projects. His drawings and comments also reflect the history of this remarkable commitment.

Ruth Zenkert, who has accompanied Moise for more than thirty years, and Nora Schoeller have compiled Moise’s illustrations into a book that offers a completely new perspective on an adventurous life that many would find unimaginable.