Elena Fischer's new novel: "This is not my life. I'm sorry."

Elena Fischer's new novel, "Wirf einen Schatten," opens with a stark scene: farmer Joseph, on Christmas Eve 1963, has given up on life. Six months prior, his wife Lis left with their son Samuel, uttering, "This is not my life. I'm sorry." As Joseph prepares to take his own life, a package arrives from Ada, Lis's sister, with whom he harbors a long-held, secret love. Soon after, another visitor appears – a young, desperate, unknown woman named Birdie, who reintroduces purpose into Joseph's seemingly concluded life.

Following her acclaimed debut, "Paradise Garden," Fischer delivers a sensitive, captivating, and remarkably precise narrative. The novel delves deeply into its characters and masterfully weaves between different timelines. However, critics note a departure from the lightness and humor that characterized her first book, despite its serious themes. The new work is described as a profoundly introspective and skillfully told story.