Last House Before the Mountain

Zusatztext A powerful, autofictional family epic Informationen zum Autor Monika Helfer is the bestselling author of novels, short stories, and children's books, including, most recently, Löwenherz ( Lionheart ), Vati ( Daddy ), and Die Bagage ( Last House Before the Mountain ). She lives in Hohenems, Austria. Gillian Davidson is a literary translator based in London. Born and brought up in Scotland, she studied French and German at Edinburgh University, spending a year at Würzburg University in South Germany. After working in Austria for six months, she returned to London to work in the finance office of a German company. She then spent most of her career working as an accountant in the UK public sector. Now retired, she enjoys devoting herself to her love of languages, adding Spanish to her repertoire. She greatly admires Monika Helfer's work and this novel is her first published work of translation. Klappentext 'Beautiful and heartbreaking ... I absolutely loved it' Monica Ali, Sunday Times Bestselling author of Love Marriage ' The whole, biographically inspired family drama tells of the greatest feelings we have: Love, anger, envy and grief ' Meike Schnitzler, Brigitte Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out for the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice whose consequences will affect the lives of her family for generations to come.Based on the internationally bestselling and award-winning Austrian novelist Monika Helfer's own family history, Last House Before the Mountain is a propulsive, haunting, multi-layered saga about love, family, and the hidden wages of war. Vorwort For readers of Ian McEwan, Elena Ferrante and Robert Seethaler , a spellbinding story of forbidden love and the hidden wages of war set in a fractured rural village in WWI Austria. Zusammenfassung ' Beautiful and heartbreaking ... I absolutely loved it ' MONICA ALI 'A poignant, captivating, beautifully woven family saga. As honest as Elena Ferrante, with the folkloric intensity of Téa Obreht' CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE 'The final moving paragraph strikes the reader like a knife to the heart' OBSERVER Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out for the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice whose consequences will affect the lives of her family for generations to come.Based on the internationally bestselling and award-winning Austrian novelist Monika Helfer's own family history, Last House Before the Mountain is a propulsive, haunting, multi-layered saga about love, family, and the hidden wages of war.Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out to seduce the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the...

A powerful, autofictional family epic

Vorwort
For readers of Ian McEwan, Elena Ferrante and Robert Seethaler**, a spellbinding story of forbidden love and the hidden wages of war set in a fractured rural village in WWI Austria.**

Autorentext
Monika Helfer is the bestselling author of novels, short stories, and children's books, including, most recently, Löwenherz (Lionheart), Vati (Daddy), and Die Bagage (Last House Before the Mountain). She lives in Hohenems, Austria. Gillian Davidson is a literary translator based in London. Born and brought up in Scotland, she studied French and German at Edinburgh University, spending a year at Würzburg University in South Germany. After working in Austria for six months, she returned to London to work in the finance office of a German company. She then spent most of her career working as an accountant in the UK public sector. Now retired, she enjoys devoting herself to her love of languages, adding Spanish to her repertoire. She greatly admires Monika Helfer's work and this novel is her first published work of translation.

Klappentext
'Beautiful and heartbreaking ... I absolutely loved it' Monica Ali, Sunday Times Bestselling author of Love Marriage 'The whole, biographically inspired family drama tells of the greatest feelings we have: Love, anger, envy and grief' Meike Schnitzler, Brigitte Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out for the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice whose consequences will affect the lives of her family for generations to come. Based on the internationally bestselling and award-winning Austrian novelist Monika Helfer's own family history, Last House Before the Mountain is a propulsive, haunting, multi-layered saga about love, family, and the hidden wages of war.

Zusammenfassung
'**Beautiful and heartbreaking ... I absolutely loved it**' MONICA ALI 'A poignant, captivating, beautifully woven family saga. As honest as Elena Ferrante, with the folkloric intensity of Téa Obreht' CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE 'The final moving paragraph strikes the reader like a knife to the heart' OBSERVER Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out for the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice whose consequences will affect the lives of her family for generations to come. Based on the internationally bestselling and award-winning Austrian novelist Monika Helfer's own family history, Last House Before the Mountain is a propulsive, haunting, multi-layered saga about love, family, and the hidden wages of war. Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out to seduce the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice, with consequences that will affect the lives of her family for generations to come. Based on the award-winning Austrian novelist's own family history, this is a propulsive, haunting story about love, family and the hidden wages of war. **'A masterclass in li…