"And the Wind Stands Still" by Astrid Lehmann—A family saga set between the Black Forest and Brittany
The Longing for Home Astrid Lehmann tells a moving family saga set between the Black Forest and Brittany. - A novel about love, loss, and uprooting - Inspired by a true story and a dark chapter in postwar German-French history.
Brittany, the Pink Granite Coast. Alice is turning eighty. Her daughter
is planning a lavish celebration, but the reclusive and
grumpy lady prefers to be alone. For Alice harbors a dark
secret that has linked her to the Black Forest since her childhood.
Until now, she has confided in only her dog, Marguerite. When her
nightmares get worse and her boyfriend Henri forces her to talk
, there’s no turning back. Alice embarks on a journey into her
past—hoping to find a piece of herself along the way
.
Black Forest, 1942. Elsa is lucky in life. She, a simple maid,
meets Heinrich, an older soldier, at a dance. By the time he’s next
on leave, wedding bells are already ringing, and Elsa is firmly
determined to be a good wife to him. But their relationship
is ill-fated from the very beginning. When Heinrich is separated from his unit on the
Eastern Front, Elsa meets the French soldier Antoine. The two lose
themselves in a “amour fou”—but one day, Heinrich is back at her door…
In collaboration with the German-French Society
