Schöne Geschichte zum Lesen

Cover text: Berlin, August 5, 1936: Melancholy is Elfie's constant companion. She finds confidence in her work in the Chocolaterie Sawade, a hoard of delicate magic made of nougat and chocolate, the finest marzipan and noble aromas. Here Elfie and her neighbors manage to maintain their humanity in inhuman times. Then Elfie discovers the secret of a special chocolate and the story of a forbidden love. But will she dare to follow her own longing? Review: The book caught my eye right away, in the box with scarce goods. The cover and color edging are so pretty I couldn't resist. The cover text promised something else, but I still think the book is worth reading. It's one of the most beautiful books I've read this year. The writing style is fluid, engaging and very easy to read. I was immediately drawn into the story and didn't want to put the book down. Anne Stern sketches the characters excellently and in great detail, so that you can visualize them well and they flicker in front of your inner eye like in a movie. The author manages to capture and convey the mood and atmosphere of the time very well without going into too much detail about the events of the time. Nevertheless, reading it makes you realize once again what a bad time it was during National Socialism. I like Elfie, the main character, from the first page. She manages to overcome her past (with her grandmother) through recurring rituals and processes. It may seem vague to others, but that doesn't matter to Elfie, as long as she can be at her beloved Chocolaterie, all is well. I like her development and as a character I find her fascinating. The other characters in the book are also lovingly and very detailed designed and you root for them as to how things will continue for them. I also like the connections between the characters and that Elfie somehow seems to hold the reins of everyone and thus influences them in their development. I was especially happy about the positive outcome of Franz. Even if it sounds a bit macabre that he should have a picture of Max Liebermann sold in order to be able to live in freedom or did “Kollwitz” give him the picture for precisely this reason? In the end, many questions remain unanswered, but do they always have to be answered? I particularly liked the chapters where the Linden trees have their say and tell the story of “Unter den Linden”. Of the ups and downs. The years of splendor and the years of marches and riots. From old and new. Of the past and future. It's always nice to read a book about the city you grew up in and to get to know new history and perspectives, such as the up and down of the Linden in the boulevard "Unter den Linden".