2010 Shortlist
Settlement
ABOUT
THE BOOK
Provincial Guldenberg is still reeling from World War II when a flood of German refugees arrives from the east, Bernhard Haber’s family among them. Life is hard enough—Bernhard’s father has lost an arm and his carpenter’s income. But added to this injury comes an accumulation of insults, as the upright town turns hostile toward the newcomers. After a string of mysterious losses—from the killing of the boy’s dog to the unexplained death of his father—Bernhard is set on extracting revenge.
Rich with psychological insight, Christoph Hein’s acclaimed novel tells Bernhard’s story across nearly fifty years, chronicling his remarkable rise from victimized outsider to Guldenberg’s most prominent burgher.
ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Philip
Boehm
Philip Boehm was born in 1958 in Texas. He studied at Wesleyan University, Washington University in St. Louis, and the State Academy of Theatre in Warsaw. He is not only a lauded literary translator of works from Polish and German into English, but he is also an accomplished playwright and director. Boehm is the co-founder of the Upstream Theatre in St. Louis. The theatre is known for its productions of works from international authors.
Philip Boehm was born in 1958 in Texas. He studied at Wesleyan University, Washington University in St. Louis, and the State Academy of Theatre in Warsaw. He is not only a lauded literary translator of works from Polish and German into English, but he is also an accomplished playwright and director. Boehm is the co-founder of the Upstream Theatre in St. Louis. The theatre is known for its productions of works from international authors.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Date published
19/12/2008
Country
Germany
Original Language
German
Publisher
Metropolitan Books
Translator
Philip Boehm
Nominating Library