Shortlisted for the Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize for its translation
Shortlisted for the Schlegel-Tieck Prize for its translation
What makes us who we are? Arno Geiger's father was never an easy man to
know and when he developed Alzheimer's, Arno realised he was not going
to ask for help. 'As my father can no longer cross the bridge into my
world, I have to go over to his.' So Arno sets out on a journey to get
to know him at last. Born in 1926 in the Austrian Alps, into a farming
family who had an orchard, kept three cows, and made schnapps in the
cellar, his father was conscripted into World War II as a 'schoolboy
soldier' - an experience he rarely spoke about, though it marked him.
Striking up a new friendship, Arno walks with him in the village and the
landscape they both grew up in and listens to his words, which are often
full of unexpected poetry.Through his intelligent, moving and often
funny account, we begin to see that whatever happens in old age, a human
being retains their past and their character. Translated into nearly 30
languages, The Old King in His Exile will offer solace and insight to
anyone coping with a loved one's aging.