#paperback #refugees #immigrants #pianist #giftedpersons

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Delaware

"My new favorite novel. Characters and storytelling like this belong in the Fiction Hall of Fame, in the wing reserved for wry and sly masterpieces."
---Elinor Lipman, author of "The Inn at Lake Devine" and "The Pursuit of Alice Thrift"
"Hedwig and Berti" is a saga of the totally unlikely marriage of a grandly Teutonic woman, Hedwig Kessler and her diminutive cousin Berti, two upperclass German Jews forced to leave their homeland during the rise of the Nazis. They flee to London, then to New York City and from there, finally, to a university town in Kansas. In London, Hedwig gives birth to a daughter whose broodingly dark construction and immense genius for the piano point back in time to the tragedy of her bloodline.
This is a story of prejudice taken to extremes, both within the domain of a severely class-conscious German-Jewish family, and beyond it. The characters are subtle, finely honed and told with grace and unexpected humor. Like Penelope Fitzgerald, Frieda Arkin possesses a rare gift for combining love, wit, and dark realism in the reactions and behavior of her characters in the several cultures they are forced to adapt to. "Second acts this good are rare A deliciously vinegary second novel."
---"The New York Times Book Review"
"Arkin depicts these damaged characters...with unflinching honesty and rueful insight...A bravura encore worth the wait."
---"Kirkus Reviews" (starred review)
"

Hedwig and Berti

eac0d06c-66db-40cf-b99e-5e67dee8fa0b-1

Frieda Arkin

Thirty-five years after publication of her first novel, "The Dorp" (followed by other works on cooking and gardening), Frieda Arkin returns to the world of fiction to give us another darkly humorous novel, "Hedwig and Berti."
"Hedwig and Berti" is a saga of the totally unlikely marriage of a grandly Teutonic woman, Hedwig Kessler, and her diminutive cousin Berti, two upper-class German Jews forced to leave their homeland during the rise of the Nazis. They flee to London, then to New York City, and from there, finally, to a university town in Kansas. In London, Hedwig gives birth to a daughter whose broodingly dark construction and immense genius for the piano point back in time to the tragedy of her bloodline.
This is a story of prejudice taken to extremes, both within the domain of a severely class-conscious German-Jewish family and beyond it. The characters are subtle, and finely-honed, and their story is told with grace and unexpected humor. Like Penelope Fitzgerald, Frieda Arkin possesses a rare gift for combining love, wit, and dark realism in the reactions and behavior of her characters in the several cultures they are forced to adapt to.


Category - Fiction / Family & Relationships

Format - Paperback

Condition - Good

Listed - A year ago

Views - 3

Wishes - 1

Ships From - Delaware

Est. Publication Date - Aug 2006

Seller Description

Additional Information

Hedwig and Berti

ISBN: 9780312333560

Publisher Description

Tags

Hedwig and Berti

By:

$2.25

Meet the seller

Discover more

Hedwig and Berti

By: Frieda Arkin

More from this seller

Additional titles by Frieda Arkin

'Hedwig and Berti' readers also enjoyed:

Recently Viewed

Browse by categories

Category - Fiction / Family & Relationships

Format - Paperback

Condition - Good

Listed - A year ago

Views - 3

Wishes - 1

Ships From - Delaware

Est. Publication Date - Aug 2006

Seller Description

Additional Information

Hedwig and Berti

ISBN: 9780312333560

Publisher Description

Tags

Hedwig and Berti

By:

$2.25

Meet the seller

Discover more

Hedwig and Berti

By: Frieda Arkin

More from this seller

Additional titles by Frieda Arkin

'Hedwig and Berti' readers also enjoyed:

Recently Viewed