The Fire
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In her perceptive and affecting new novel, Daniela Krien explores a marriage where everything hangs in the balance.
"Quietly devastating" HANNAH BECKERMANN, Observer
"A stylish, subtle read" Woman & Home BOOK OF THE MONTH
"Perfectly paced, nuanced" Saga Magazine PICK OF THE MONTH
"Powerful . . . subtle and psychologically astute" Times Literary Supplement
"Beautifully written" Independent
How can two lovers find a way back to each other, when the pain of the past stands between them?
With plans adrift after a fire burns down their rented holiday cabin, Rahel and Peter find themselves unexpectedly on an isolated farm where Rahel spent many a happy childhood summer. Suddenly, after years of navigating careers, demanding children and the monotony of the daily routine, they find themselves unable to escape each other's company. With three weeks stretching ahead, they must come to an understanding on whether they have a future together.
What happens when love grows older and passion has faded? When what divides us is greater than what brought us together? And how easy is it to ask the fundamental questions about our relationships?
Praise for LOVE IN FIVE ACTS:
"Highly recommended" The Times
"Exquisite . . . Utterly captivating" Woman and Home
"Unfailingly impressive" Irish Times
"Beautifully direct and lucid prose" Sydney Morning Herald
"A beautiful novel" New European
"Sympathetic and clear-eyed" Financial Times
"An intelligent study of female ambition and frailty" Observer
Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch
Jamie Bulloch
Translated by
Jamie Bulloch has translated almost fifty books from German, including works by Timur Vermes, Robert Menasse, Sebastian Fitzek and Daniela Krien. His translation of Birgit Vanderbeke’s The Mussel Feast won the 2014 Schlegel-Tieck Prize, an award for which he has been runner-up on two further occasions. He is also the author of Karl Renner: Austria. Jamie lives in London with his wife and three daughters.
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