The English German Girl: A Novel
Language: English
Pages: 352
ISBN: 162636074X
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
A sweeping tale of love and loss, with the poignant story of the Kindertransport at its heart, this is an exceptional accomplishment from one of Britain’s bravest and most-vibrant young writers.
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go, ah so, apartment Klein, it smells of boiling laundry, the paint is peeling badly, my they have gone down in the world. Now to knock on the door, ha, knock is not the word, funny how he has got used to raising his fist like this and thumping on the doors of perfect strangers, it comes naturally to him now, to break the unspoken sanctity of another man’s door with heavy violent thumping – there, the scrape of chairs and hushed voices, now is the time to thump again, don’t give them a chance to
Klein. The three of them sit at the table in awkward silence. There is the sound of water gushing noisily through the pipes, and shadows cast by haphazard rows of laundry move drearily on the ceiling. A threadbare pair of trousers hanging on the side of a door drips regularly on the floorboards. —It has been ever such a long time, says Inga, at last. How many years? Three? Four? —I’ve lost count, says Krützfeld. —Five years, says Klein. Now enough of this charade. If this matter is so urgent,
embassies the same as you. I do the customers’ laundry,says Rosa. I should not be forced out of the family. —Nobody is forcing you out, says Inga, please, Rosa. —I am being forced. I do not want to leave. —If you don’t want to go, Püppchen— —Don’t call me that. —If you don’t want to go, says Klein, we may reconsider. —You will reconsider, says Rosa. —The Kremers will make wonderful foster parents, says Inga. —Foster parents? So now I am being fostered? —Oh, Rosa, you know what I mean.
Berlin, the Berlin of several years ago, and it seemed incongruous, but Inga wanted her daughter to arrive in England looking her very best, to have the best possible start with her new family, for first impressions last. Now they are almost at the ugly pillared entrance of the station, and little groups of parents and children can be seen moving silently around the concourse, standing in pale-faced clusters, bleached yellow by the incandescent lights. The Kleins join them, each family contained
leaning forward in his chair. There is a creak – then another. There is no doubt about it, someone is coming down the stairs. He sits up straight and stares into the darkness. A figure appears; it is Rosa, stealing down the stairs. From the kitchen the quiet sound of clinking glass can be heard, together with the occasional sigh. Gerald is about to call out, but something makes him stop. Rosa’s silhouette pads silently along the hall until she reaches the front door. She touches the handle,
