Windstill

by Eluned Gramich

Fighting to free herself from a toxic relationship, 21-year-old Lora escapes to her recently widowed grandmother’s home in Hamburg. When Daniel, Lora’s delusional ex, and a string of estranged relatives turn up, covert agendas emerge and conflicting views on sexual ethics surface, with sudden and surprising consequences. This vividly powerful, ‘no-holding-back’ debut confronts the darker aspects of history, offering a hidden narrative of post-war Germany. Quietly ambitious, funny and sometimes tragic, Windstill reveals the stories we tell to protect the ones we love.

256 pages, Paperback

Published October 20, 2022

Reviews

[Oscar Seager · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend's book!

A snapshot of life in a book covering a few days of Lora and Elfriede grasping their life after the loss of their grandfather and husband respectively while Lora's ex, Daniel finds his way back into her life at a tumultuous time.

I particularly enjoyed how the story jumped between different perspectives often and offered the complexities of everyone's individual thoughts and their perceptions of the world around them, especially with scenes that directly involved Daniel and Lora. What kept me gripped was how that really fed into the household tensions at certain moments.

Overall, an entertaining read and I'm looking forward to seeing what Eluned writes next!

[Leanne Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare feat - a sweeping novel under 250 pages. The claustrophobia of the house and each characters' internal life ricocheting from the walls was so intense, I forgot to breathe during large chunks!