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Partly autobiographical, this is the third title in Judith Kerr's internationally acclaimed trilogy of books following the life of Anna through war-torn Germany, to London during the Blitz and her return to Berlin to discover the past... Berlin is where Anna lived before Hitler, when she was still a German child; before she spoke a word of English, before her family had all become refugees. Long before her happy new existence in London. But Mama is there, dangerously ill. Anna is forced to go back, to deal with questions of life and death, to face old fears, and to discover the past which she has so long shut away.Content warning: this book contains references to suicide, appropriate for older readers.
Anna returns to her childhood home of Berlin to confront the ghosts of her past while tending to her ailing mother. Now an adult living in London, Anna must navigate the complex emotional landscape of a Germany transformed by the war she once fled. The narrative follows her internal struggle as she reconciles her current identity with the memories of a life before the rise of Hitler. Through a reflective, intimate lens, the story examines the weight of family history and the necessity of confronting long-buried trauma.
This work is widely regarded as a poignant conclusion to a significant trilogy that captures the nuances of the refugee experience. Readers and critics often highlight the author's ability to maintain a delicate balance between personal history and broader historical events. The narrative is frequently praised for its understated emotional depth and the maturity with which it handles difficult themes. By focusing on the internal growth of the protagonist, the book provides a resonant look at the long-term effects of exile and the search for closure. The prose is noted for its clarity and its capacity to evoke the specific atmosphere of a changing Europe.
Page Count:
222
Publication Date:
2002-01-01
Publisher:
Collins
ISBN-10:
0007137621
ISBN-13:
9780007137626
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