Description
Book SynopsisA brilliant, bestselling feminist novel from Weimar Germany, from the author of Child of All Nations
''A formidable literary talent ... Sharp yet naïve, Gilgi is utterly human'' Irish Times
Gilgi knows where she''s going in life: she''s ambitious, focused and determined, even when her boss tries it on with her, even when her parents reveal a terrible secret on her twenty-first birthday. Then she meets the charming but feckless Martin and, for the first time, Gilgi finds herself bewilderingly and dangerously derailed. Irmgard Keun''s electrifying debut was an instant sensation in Weimar Germany, with its frank, fearless exploration of sex, work and love.
Translated by Geoff Wilkes
''How contemporary the novel feels, with its portrait of a woman fighting to maintain control over her life and her body'' The New York Times
Trade ReviewA gem of novel, a bittersweet delight ... Keun brilliantly conveys both the decadence and the despair of late-era Weimar Germany ... Expertly translated by Geoff Wilkes * Herald Scotland *
I was struck by how contemporary the novel feels ... A female
Times reviewer in 1932 noted that 'countless hard-working, industrious, healthy young girls recognized themselves in the heroine'. I suspect many members of our #MeToo generation will do so as well * The New York Times *
The overwhelming power of Keun's work lies in her surprisingly raw, witty, and resonant feminine voices * Bookslut *
