I am delighted to feature Tasting Sunlight by Ewald Arenz on the blog today. This German bestseller has been in the top ten for over three years and sold over 400,000 copies in Germany alone. It will soon be turned into a major movie. I also have a great giveaway with the chance to win a print copy of this novel. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.
Teenager Sally has just run away from a clinic where she to
be treated for anorexia. She’s furious with everything and everyone, and wants
to be left in peace.
Liss is in her forties, living alone on a large farm that
she runs single-handedly. She has little contact with the outside world, and no
need for other people.
From their first meeting, Sally realises that Liss isn’t
like other adults; she expects nothing of Sally and simply accepts who she is,
offering her a bed for the night with no questions asked.
That night becomes weeks and then months, as an unlikely
friendship develops and these two damaged women slowly open up – connecting to
each other, reconnecting with themselves, and facing the darkness in their
pasts through their shared work on the
land.
Achingly beautiful, profound, invigorating and uplifting,
Tasting Sunlight is a story of friendship across generations, of love and
acceptance, of the power of nature to heal and transform, and the goodness that
surrounds us, if only we take time to see it…
My Thoughts
What a distinctive story this turned out to be. It is a deceptively simple story but as you read it, you discover layers of meaning, through the characters, the setting and the depiction of the healing power of Nature. Centred around two unlikely characters, you see friendship stir and understanding grow. Set in rural Germany, you meet Sally, a young teenage runaway who has been admitted to a clinic as she has had anorexia. Liss, a solitary middle-aged farmer, recognises in Sally, the vulnerabilities she felt as a young girl and allows her to stay.
Liss and Sally are desperate to be left alone. Of course, you realise that somewhere out there, people will be hunting for Sally. Rachel Ward has translated the novel so skilfully and the writing flows as Liss introduces Sally to the workings of the farm. There are some wonderful passages describing the tasks which have to be done. You feel that Nature and the environment offer both women healing and the space to recover. As you find out, both have a complicated past which they have tried to escape from. Both have felt the pressure of loss of freedom. There is so much admire in the novel which despite a sense of foreboding, is an uplifting and inspiring read.
In short: Prepare to be enchanted by beautiful writing
About the Author
Ewald Arenz, born in Nürnberg in 1965, studied English and
American literature and history. He is a teacher at a secondary school in
Nürnberg. His novels and plays have received many awards. Ewald lives near
Fürth with his family.You can follow Ewald here: Twitter | Website
Book link: Amazon UK (published June 23rd- pre-order link)
Thanks to Ewald Arenz, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour/
Check out these great bloggers!
Giveaway ( UK only)
To win a print copy of Tasting Sunlight just Follow and Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!
Closing date is June 19th 2022
and there is one winner.
*Terms and Conditions –UK only. The winner will be selected at
random via Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter
and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right
to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the
competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with
third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed
to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not
responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Thank you x
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