The last novel from the acclaimed author of The Artificial Silk
Girl, this 1950 classic paints a delightfully shrewd portrait of
postwar German society.
Upon his release from a prisoner-of-war camp, Ferdinand Timpe returns
somewhat uneasily to civilian life in Cologne. Having survived against
the odds, he is now faced with a very different sort of dilemma: How to
get rid of his fiancée? Although he certainly doesn't love the
mild-mannered Luise, Ferdinand is too considerate to break off the
engagement himself, so he sets about finding her a suitable replacement
husband--no easy task given Luise's high standards and those of her
father, formerly a proud middle-ranking Nazi official.
Featuring a lively cast of characters--from Ferdinand's unscrupulous
landlady with her black-market schemes to his beguiling cousin Johanna
and the many loves of her life--Ferdinand captures a distinct moment
in Germany's history, when its people were coming to terms with World
War II and searching for a way forward. In Irmgard Keun's effervescent
prose, the story feels remarkably modern.