The Song and the Truth - Hardcover

Reubsamen, Helga; Translated By Paul Vincent

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1860468330 ISBN 13: 9781860468339

Publisher: The Harvill Press, 2001

Synopsis

A glowing novel of a child's paradise lost, set against the encroaching darkness of World War II.

Lulu is five. She lives on Java with her father, a dedicated colonial doctor; her mother, a beautiful, narcissistic would-be artist; her aunt Margot; and, unexpectedly, her father's brother, Uncle Felix. By day, she plays outside. By night, when the grown-ups are asleep, she inhabits a mysterious world in which reality and fantasy merge, and human beings, animals, and plants are transformed by moonlight into gods and demons. On her nocturnal wanderings, Lulu witnesses puzzling scenes among the adults, and when she innocently describes them, commotion ensues. Suddenly, commanded by her grandfather, the family abandons the idyllic tropical base and returns to Holland. But the year is 1939, and Lulu's family is Jewish. Forced into hiding by the German invasion, Lulu leaves childhood and enters a hostile world, sustained only by her father's love (her mother has decamped for London) and her own fierce, increasingly tested courage.

A novel of purity and lyrical power--a major work of fiction.

About this title

From the Back Cover

“Forceful and engrossing . . . Mysteries, strange alliances and drama abound in this singular coming-of-age tale.” –The New York Times Book Review

“Rich and fully satisfying. . . . [An] exhilarating success.” –The Washington Post Book World

“From the very beginning, the beautiful, self-effacing language of the novel engages us. That, along with Ruebsamen’s passion and intelligence, grips the reader until the end of the novel, and after.” –Commonweal

“Absolutely enchanting . . . exotic, mysterious, magical but psychologically realistic.” –The Times (London)

About the Author

Helga Ruebsamen was born in 1934 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and spent her early childhood on Java. In 1939 her family traveled to Europe, and they stayed in Holland throughout the war.  She worked as a journalist for Het Vaderland, a newspaper in The Hague, before becoming a freelance writer.  She is the author of five collections of short stories and two previous novels.  The Song and the Truth is her first work to be published in English. 
 

Edition details

• Publisher: The Harvill Press
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1860468330
• ISBN 13: 9781860468339
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352