'A stark, moving narrative.' Daily Telegraph 'an ambitious project for a first-time novelist, but one that Malessa embarks on with confidence!he chronicles in dark detail an event that remains relatively unheard-of outside Germany.' Irish Times 'Rendered in understated prose, this vividly imagined landscape becomes all the more powerful.' Observer 'The opening chapters of The Flight are a lyrical evocation of the rural life and culture of this remote region!Recounted in sober, restrained prose, The Flight is unremitting in its depiction of the brutality of war and conquest. But there is something uplifting in the way Ida endures her terrifying journey with quiet courage, determined to protect her children at all costs.' Independent