In den Wäldern der Biber

IN DEN WÄLDERN DER BIBER /
IN THE FORESTS OF THE BEAVER

A Novel, ca. 300 pages, Spring 2022
English sample available

A young woman who has lost her way in life, a small Brandenburgian village, and an encounter that changes everything.

“A book that caresses the soul – like a walk in the forest on a sunny spring day.” Martina Lange, Buchhandlung Blume
"The summer read of the year!" Melanie Lauser
"A wonderful book about life with all its ups and downs. [...] A story that touches, makes you think and ultimately makes you happy!" Annett Fritsch
"A book that rests in itself, that decelerates and shows us humans once again what is important in life." Christa Kampmeyer, librarian

“An evening breeze dances through the street, playing with the leaves in the trees, already the dark colour of late summer. It won’t be long before the first ones turn brown and begin to fall, heralding autumn. I’d like to be here to watch how the forest greets the winter months.”

After her seemingly well-ordered life unravels and her boyfriend throws her out of their shared flat, Alina flees the bustle of Frankfurt without a second thought and makes for the only place that comes to mind: the home of her estranged grandfather, in a sleepy village in Brandenburg.
The old man lives alone amidst forests and fields, in a house which is much too big and in need of renovation. He keeps chickens, tends to his garden, bakes bread, makes jam – and takes in his granddaughter without asking too many questions. Alina’s memories of summers spent with her grandparents are hazy and a little sur-real; caught up in the stress of everyday life, those summers in the village haven’t crossed her mind for years. But now, in the heart of nature, where everything hums and rustles, surrounded by sounds and scents, the memories return. And before she knows it, she’s fallen in love not just with the house and its surrounding forests, but also with her childhood friend Elias. Yet there are some things that Alina must free herself from before she can build a new life.