The God of that Summer

Ralf Rothmann, Shaun Whiteside

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English

Picador
25 January 2022

Fiction & Literature; Second World War fiction; Historical fiction; Fiction in translation

As the Second World War enters its final stages, millions in Germany are forced from their homes by bombing, compelled to seek shelter in the countryside where there are barely the resources to feed them.

Twelve-year-old Luisa, her mother, and her older sister Billie have escaped the devastation of the city for the relative safety of a dairy farm. But even here the power struggles of the war play out: the family depend on the goodwill of Luisa's brother-in-law, an SS officer, who in expectation of payment turns his attention away from his wife and towards Billie. Luisa immerses herself in books, but even she notices the Allied bombers flying east above them, the gauntness of the prisoners at the camp nearby, the disappearance of fresh-faced boys from the milk shed - hastily shipped off to a war that's already lost.

Living on the farm teaches Luisa about life and death, but it's man's capacity for violence that provides the ultimate lesson, that robs her of her innocent ignorance. When, at a birthday celebration, her worst fears are realized, Luisa collapses under the weight of the inexplicable.

Ralf Rothmann's previous novel, To Die in Spring, described the horror of war and the damage done on the battlefield. The God of that Summer tells the devastating story of civilians caught up in the chaos of defeat, of events that might lead a twelve-year-old child to justifiably say: 'I have experienced everything.'

By: Ralf Rothmann
Translated by: Shaun Whiteside
Imprint: Picador
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 155mm, Spine: 19mm
Weight: 296g
ISBN: 9781529009842
ISBN 10: 1529009847
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 25 January 2022
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Ralf Rothmann is a German novelist, poet, and dramatist. His first novel to be translated into English, To Die in Spring, won the HWA Gold Crown for Best Historical Novel, was an international bestseller, and was translated into twenty-five languages.

Reviews for The God of that Summer

‘This book's power lies in its depiction of civilians trying to lead ordinary lives during the horror of war . . . It is shattering stuff, but Rothmann is tender towards his characters and this book is as memorable as his last.’ * The Times *