The God of that Summer

In Ralf Rothmann's The God of That Summer, civilians struggle to lead ordinary lives during the horror of war. The novel depicts the power struggles of the war, the bombing, and the displacement of millions of people. Luisa, a twelve-year-old girl, is forced to leave her home and seeks shelter on a dairy farm. However, the farm is not safe, and the family depends on the goodwill of an SS officer. Luisa learns about life and death on the farm, but the ultimate lesson is the man's capacity for violence. The book is a powerful portrayal of the chaos and devastation of war.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 25 May 2023
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

This book's power lies in its depiction of civilians trying to lead ordinary lives during the horror of war. It is shattering stuff, but Rothmann is tender towards his characters, and this book is as memorable as his last.

As the Second World War enters its final stages, millions in Germany are forced from their homes by bombing, compelled to seek shelter in the countryside where there are barely the resources to feed them. Twelve-year-old Luisa, her mother, and her older sister Billie have escaped the devastation of the city for the relative safety of a dairy farm. But even here, the power struggles of the war play out: the family depends on the goodwill of Luisas brother-in-law, an SS officer, who, in expectation of payment, turns his attention away from his wife and towards Billie. Luisa immerses herself in books, but even she notices the Allied bombers flying east above them, the gauntness of the prisoners at the camp nearby, the disappearance of fresh-faced boys from the milk shed—hastily shipped off to a war that's already lost.

Living on the farm teaches Luisa about life and death, but its man's capacity for violence that provides the ultimate lesson, that robs her of her innocent ignorance. When, at a birthday celebration, her worst fears are realized, Luisa collapses under the weight of the inexplicable.

Ralf Rothmann's previous novel, To Die in Spring, described the horror of war and the damage done on the battlefield. The God of That Summer tells the devastating story of civilians caught up in the chaos of defeat, of events that might lead a twelve-year-old child to justifiably say: "I have experienced everything."

Weight: 176g
Dimension: 130 x 197 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529009859