»Very sensual, very atmospheric, very dense …«

A breathtakingly written panorama of the early post-war years: Luisa is studying to become a librarian at university, which is housed in a former arms factory in Kiel. Elisabeth is working at the officers’ mess in the port and all she strives for is a little contentedness and everyday comfort. Two women who are trying to regain control of their lives after the war. But when is war truly over for those who have experienced it? Over time, Luisa notices that there is a heaviness in Elisabeth that weighs her down and prevents her from finding happiness. She tries to stay close to her friend, after her suicide attempt and through the extreme poverty of country life, but for Elisabeth, there will always be that emptiness that stems from the winter of 1945.

After the much-translated novels To Die in Spring (2015) and The God of that Summer (2018), the author concludes his trilogy on World War II and the post-war years in Germany with The Night under the Snow. A film adaptation of Rothmann's novel To Die in Spring is currently being prepared in the United States. The film rights to The God of that Summer and The Night under the Snow are available.