Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I was looking forward to this promised historical story about family life in a remote alpine village. What I got was a stilted, repetitive meandering ramble that may have suffered in translation. Certainly a 9-year-old would not have used the word 'wherewithal' and for something that was supposed to be written from her memories I didn't see the reason for the author writing about her father stroking her mother's pubic hair. The story went backwards and forwards in time in almost 200 pages undivided by chapters, seemingly a collection of thoughts rather than a story going somewhere, e.g. 'It's nice when someone speaks and laughs at home with their mouth full.' I gave up at just over 50% through.

Described as a 'spellbinding, multigenerational family saga set in a fractured rural village in WWI Austria' I had high hopes of this book. It is written from the point of view of a grand daughter of the initial main character - Maria, a beautiful woman who's husband Josef has gone to war.

In fact I found it a maundering, wandering account where the author kept dragging us away from the main tale to tell us about other members of the family or herself in future events. It was hard to connect with any character, or even build a picture of them. The result was a disjointed read that did not flow and did not keep my attention. The whole thing was just too convoluted, with little of real interest and nothing described in real depth, so I'm afraid I gave up before the end, which is something I very seldom do.

Sorry, not for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Monika’s story had an interesting premise but I found the writing style disjointed and hard to become engrossed in -I’m sure this has to do with the translation.

The story is about Monika’s family living in Western Austria during WWI and centers on a women named Maria her husband Josef and her children coping and surviving the trauma of war and a hostile community. The story is told through the voice of Aunt Kathe telling it to Maria's Granddaughters and from other family members who told their stories to her

Monika’s description of the characters were rich and vivid but the jumping around time periods unfortunately lost me.

*Many thanks to Monika Helfer, Bloomsbury Publishing, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Promising idea behind the novel, with great potential expressed in the tale of a woman who in the first decades of the 20th century allows herself to be overpowered by emotions against her conventional marriage. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the Author's writing is rather erratic which may be the result of wanting to tell a reader too much at a time. I enjoy reading a historical fiction set in this particular period but I found the story hard to follow and did not connect to any character. Also, jumping across the stories did not make my reading easy.

This book was a very well written multi-layered family saga which tells the story of an Austrian couple, Josef and Maria who are very poor and slightly reclusive. When the First World War breaks out, Josef leaves Maria to provide for the family alone. He returns home a couple of years later to discover that Maria became pregnant in his absence and gave birth to her fifth child Margarethe (Grete). The consequences of which will affect the lives of her family for generations to come. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others!

A spellbinding, multigenerational family saga set in a fractured rural village in WWI Austria. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was an excellent page turner that I couldn’t put down.

Short novel set in Austria at the time of the First World War. Maria and Josef are very poor, keep themselves to themselves and live a contented life in the last house before the mountain, outside the village. Then Josef is called up to fight and their world is turned upside down. Maria has her fifth child Margarethe (Grete) during the war, Josef is sure she isn’t his, whose is she? Grete’s daughter decides to investigate but not until there’s just her aunt Kathe left to talk with.
Maria is beautiful, who wouldn’t want to be involved with her, despite being married and already having four children? Josef is a man of few words, what does she see in him? They struggle through the war, warm but hungry. Josef gets leave occasionally, and brings home a little money. The mayor is supposed to be looking after Maria and the children in Josef’s absence. The horrors of war for those left behind, particularly the larger, poorer families - how they coped, watched out for each other, and how cruel others can be to those who they see as different.
Interspersed with more contemporary hopes and dreams of Maria’s granddaughter (Grete’s daughter), and a little about the later lives Maria’s seven children. Written in a conversation way, very easy to read and engaging.
I enjoyed it.

I was disappointed with this book as I found the telling disjointed and the lack of chapters over almost 200 pages was offputting too. The translation is excellent with a very good vocabulary. But the 1914 characters didn't draw me in and the following gnerations were hardly there at all. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for a e-ARC of the book to read and review.

I adore WW historical fiction, so this was right up my street!

This is such a beautifully written multi-layered family saga which tells the story of an Austrian couple, Josef and Maria who are very poor and slightly reclusive. When the First World War breaks out, Josef leaves Maria to provide for the family alone. He returns home a couple of years later to discover that Maria became pregnant in his absence and gave birth to her fifth child Margarethe (Grete). The consequences of which will affect the lives of her family for generations to come.

A highly recommended read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for the opportunity to read and review this spellbinding arc.

Oh wow! I absolutely fell in love with this book. Wonderfully written family saga, a compact history of her family and their life at the end of the Austro-Hungarian era.
I think this is something that everyone should read.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

Who says you can’t write a sprawling family saga in under 150 pages! This is a beautiful, compact family history in which Monika Helfer tells the story of her grandparents, Josef and Maria, during the final years of the Austro-Hungarian double monarchy. They make a handsome couple but they are poor, have many children and live in the last (i.e. poorest) house in the valley – furthest away from the village centre. In 1914 Josef is called to arms and the beautiful Maria is left alone with the children. This is an opportunity men in the village have been waiting for and when two years later Maria is pregnant (of Monika Helfer’s mother) the ever-gossiping villagers are keen to find out who the father is.

Highly recommended!

This is a stunningly writing family saga. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their life and their story. I reqlly enjoy World War 2 historical fiction and this definitely didn't let me down! I would recommend this book to a friend for sure.

Due for publication in February 2023, this translation brings Austrian author Monika Helfer's prize-winning historical novel to an English-speaking audience. It is a captivating story centred on the narrator's grandmother Maria, whose extraordinary beauty is both a blessing and a curse in the little South Tyrolean village on the outskirts of which she lives with her husband and children.

Set largely during World War I, this is a beautifully woven narrative in which we cannot be certain of anything. The narrator tells us openly that she is imagining some of the historical interactions, while other stories come to us through her aunt Kathe, Maria's daughter, who finally opened up about her family on her deathbed.

Helfer skillfully explores themes of family, relationships, love, war and isolation throughout the novel.

The pacing of the narrative works really well, with past and present intertwined so naturally that it feels almost as if the narrator is sitting there talking to you, and I was so engrossed that the ending seemed almost abrupt.

A slight issue I found is that I was always aware that I was reading a translation - I'm not quite sure whether this is a negative or not, and of course this is a pre-publication copy so may be tweaked before it's on the shelves.

One of those family sagas in which nothing much happens and yet so much happens, this was a fascinating tale and I would recommend it, particularly if you like the work of writers like Anne Tyler.