The Granddaughter — Bernhard Schlink

"Anyone who wants to understand contemporary Germany must read The Granddaughter now"  -- Le Monde

"The great novel of German reunification"  -- Le Figaro

From the author of the international bestseller The Reader comes this striking and provocative exploration of the legacy of German reunification and the rise of modern populism, witnessed in the story of a grandfather who attempts to connect with his radicalized granddaughter.

May, 1964. At a youth festival in East Berlin, an unlikely young couple fall in love. In the bright spring days, anything seems possible for them - it is only many years later, after her death, that Kaspar discovers the price his wife paid to get to him in West Berlin.

Shattered by grief, Kaspar sets off to uncover Birgit's secrets in the East. His search leads him to a rural community of neo-Nazis, and to a young girl who accepts him as her grandfather. Their worlds could not be more different - but he is determined to fight for her.

From the author of the international bestseller The Reader, The Granddaughter is a gripping novel that transports us from the divided Germany of the 1960s to contemporary Australia, asking what might be found when it seems like all is lost.

Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins