Altes Land

the long version

"Altes Land is a region of northern Germany known for its scenic waterways, fruit orchards, and half-timbered farmhouses. One such house, an imposing, centuries-old structure that has gradually fallen into disrepair, plays a central role in the novel. With its welcoming inscription, ‘This house is mine but not mine alone, it also belongs to the one who comes after me’, the house represents a site of refuge for the novel’s two protagonists, Vera Eckhoff and Anne Hove. Altes Land is an engaging read that chimes with the growing interest on both sides of the Atlantic in the experience of German civilian refugees at the end of the Second World War. It also reflects intelligently on the widespread phenomenon of a culture clash between long-time residents and wealthy newcomers in rural communities"--New Books in German, Autumn 2015.