It was his last wish, so Martin felt he couldn't but follow his grandfather Franz on a trip to the USA. The country his grandfather had not visited since he was captured as a prisoner of war in 1944.
Until now, Martin only really knew Franz as the bitter man from the stories his mother had told him all his life. But it didn’t matter because this trip offered Mart in a welcomed break from his own life.
In the scorching heat of Texas, walking amidst the remnants of the former camp and talking to people he met all those years ago, Franz finally finds the words to talk about what happened all those years ago.
With every memory revealed, history comes to life. Martin gets to know his grandfather for the man he really is and realizes how much of his experiences have affected their family. Now Martin's life appears in a new light.
Beautifully written and skillfully composed, this is a very moving novel that sheds new light on a part of German history, we thought, we already knew everything about.

 

Hannes Köhler Born in 1982 in Hamburg, now lives in Berlin and works as a freelance author and translator. He studied German Literature and History in Toulouse and in Berlin. His debut novel IN SPUREN was published in 2011.
For this novel he went on a two-month research trip to the USA and conducted numerous interviews with contemporary witnesses.

 

“Hannes Köhler writes about a journey into the past, which makes forgiveness possible and helps to understand the present. An extremely valuable read.” --Lucy Fricke
"Captivating and exciting." --Hannoversche Allgemeine
"A powerful and haunting read!"-- Neues Deutschland