It’s never too late to search for those you’ve missed your whole life
Germany, 1945: Struggling through the shattered aftermath of World War II, seventeen-year-old Liese has little left to hope for. Her life changes when Michel, a French occupation soldier, is billeted in her family’s home. The two fall in love, and before long, Liese is pregnant. But their happiness is cut short when Michel is suddenly reassigned. The French government's political machinery strikes, systematically hunting down the illegitimate children of French occupiers. Baby Johannes is taken from Liese’s arms and sent to France for adoption.
Many decades later, still tormented by the pain of his stolen childhood, Johannes – who now lives as a winemaker in California - tasks his granddaughter Maya with finding traces of his German mother. It is a search that will not only put Johannes’ life to test but also Maya’s …
“Melanie Levensohn has written a touching novel about children of German mothers and French soldiers after the war – a story about shame, loss of heritage, and unspeakable pain.”
Elisabeth Sandmann
about “Deutsches Kind”
“A gripping family portrait that examines the unshakeable bonds of love and past secrets, subtly profound and emotionally powerful.”
Katharina Fuchs,
Author of “Eine Handvoll Leben”,
about “The Morning after the Rain”
“An enthralling debut. Heart-wrenching.”
Adele Parks,
Sunday Times number one bestselling author,
about “A Jewish Girl in Paris”
The debut novel: three women, two tales of love, one destiny.
When Melanie Levensohn took her husband’s last name at their wedding, she became the namesake of his French cousin who had been killed in Auschwitz. Her tragic life inspired Melanie to write this novel.
The Morning after the Rain:
A profound novel about a woman torn between professional passion and family duty – a story of deep-seated pain, guilt, and reconciliation, set against sweeping international backdrops.
