The Crystal Vase

Astrid Goldsmith

$55

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Jonathan Cape
15 January 2026

Historical fiction; Graphic novels: true stories & non-fiction; Local interest, family history & nostalgia

A road-trip across Europe and back in time through the Black Forest, 1960s Zimbabwe, Nazi Germany, and three generations of the Goldschmidt family to their heart and soul - from prize-winning debut graphic novelist

'Brilliant, witty and endlessly inventive' Joe Dunthorne, author of Submarine

A road-trip across Europe and back in time- the debut graphic memoir from the prize-winning author of A Funeral In Freiburg.

When her imperious, chain-smoking German Jewish grandmother dies, it falls to Astrid and her father to drive a hire van to the Black Forest and collect the family heirlooms from Gisela's nicotine-stained apartment.

In Freiburg, they are faced with several lifetimes' worth of belongings to sort through - infested Persian rugs, mysterious photographs, a toy monkey that started a marriage - and a grasping landlord, impatient to renovate.

As the list of demands from uncles, sisters and cousins grows longer, the rabbit-holes of history and memory grow deeper. Long-buried secrets and tales of survival are revealed - from Nazi Germany to colonial Africa - and old feuds are reignited, as father and daughter struggle with the responsibility of preserving the family legacy. More importantly, will they be able to fit everything into a medium wheel-base transit van?

Funny, bittersweet and beautifully drawn, The Crystal Vase is an odyssey of family arguments, identity crises, and late discoveries.

By: Astrid Goldsmith
Imprint: Jonathan Cape
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 247mm, Width: 177mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 824g
ISBN: 9781787334311
ISBN 10: 1787334317
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 15 January 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Astrid Goldsmith (@mockduckstudios) is an award-winning stop-motion animator and writer who lives in Folkestone, England. Her graphic short story, 'A Funeral in Freiburg' was selected as the winner of the 2021 Observer/Jonathan Cape prize by a panel of judges including Alison Bechdel. Her upcoming debut graphic novel, The Crystal Vase, is based on this short story. She is a writer for animated TV series and is a regular Visiting Lecturer at several universities.

Reviews for The Crystal Vase

Hilarious, moving and brilliantly told, The Crystal Vase is a new high water mark graphic memoir. A fascinating investigation into generational trauma, a poetic riff on the nature of truth, a beautifully observed poem about how love gets passed down…and above all, just incredibly funny. This is a new masterpiece of comics. -- Stephen Collins, author of THE GIGANTIC BEARD THAT WAS EVIL Brilliant, witty and endlessly inventive – an intimate family portrait of astonishing historical reach. It's warm, humane, complex and with a cumulative emotional power that floored me. -- Joe Dunthorne, author of SUBMARINE