Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman
A Novel
Friedrich Christian Delius; Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch
FSG Originals
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FSG Originals
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
01/31/2012
ISBN: 9780374533298
128 PagesIn Rome one January afternoon in 1943, a young German woman is on her way to listen to a Bach concert at the Lutheran church. The war is for her little more than a daydream, until she realizes that her husband might never return. Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman, winner of the prestigious Georg Büchner prize, is a mesmerizing psychological portrait of the human need to safeguard innocence and integrity at any cost—even at the risk of excluding reality. More than just the story of this single woman, it is a compelling and credible description of a typical young German woman during the Nazi era.
Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman
Walk, young lady, walk if you want to walk, the child will like it if you walk, Dr Roberto had said in his funny German with a strong Italian accent,
and, as always when she set off...
Praise for Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman
“[A] distinct and lovely novella.” —Cameron Martin, The New York Times Book Review
“A revelation of humanism and hope almost musical in its intensity.” —Nicholas Lezard, The Guardian
“Bulloch's excellent translation keeps the supple and rhythmic flow of Delius's language. This is a small masterpiece.” —The Times Literary Supplement
“For, ultimately, it is what we know about the tragedy of World War II, and what Margherita does not, or will not . . . that gives this miniature its power. ” —Time Out London
“Delius understands the forces that shape Germany and has the gift to articulate joy, beauty and love.” —The Independent
In the Press
Read the Kirkus Review of PORTRAIT OF THE MOTHER AS A YOUNG WOMAN . A German woman living in Rome during World War II falls under the spell of the Eternal City. - Kirkus Reviews
Reviews from Goodreads
Friedrich Christian Delius
Friedrich Christian Delius
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