
Here lay Tirpitz
ABOUT
THE BOOK
In this stunning novel, acclaimed Norwegian poet Ingrid Storholmen resurrects the lives, trials and dreams of the men on board the largest ship during the World War II called Tirpitz-and that of their wives, lovers, family and the local Norwegians who encountered the ship-with profound immediacy and grace. Through monologues, conversations and letters Storholmen traces the personal journeys of those caught in the war. Here Lay Tirpitz is an immersive chorus of voices waiting for life to begin, or death. It shows us the beauty, vulnerability-and ugliness-of men and women, in a world overrun by hatred and power.
ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Marietta
Taralrud Maddrell
NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS
‘Here Lay Tirpitz’ is a powerful and timely anti-war novel that recounts the fate of 2,500 German soldiers aboard the warship Tirpitz in 1944. Ingrid Storholmen transforms historical events into a captivating collective narrative, poignantly illustrating how the individual is crushed by the enormity of war. She writes, «You have to become a machine. Disconnect all the human in you. When I come Home, I will never tell anyone about this, they are not to know that for several weeks I was not a human being.» (p. 203, translated by Marietta Taralrud Maddrell). The novel is rich in its form and imbued with humanity. ‘Here Lay Tirpitz’ serves as an important reminder that all significant events in the world are composed of the destinies of individual people, a message that is especially relevant in today’s world.