Description

In her perceptive and affecting new novel, Daniela Krien explores a marriage where everything hangs in the balance.

“Quietly devastating” HANNAH BECKERMANN, Observer

“A stylish, subtle read” Woman & Home BOOK OF THE MONTH

“Perfectly paced, nuanced” Saga Magazine PICK OF THE MONTH

“Powerful . . . subtle and psychologically astute” Times Literary Supplement

“Beautifully written” Independent

How can two lovers find a way back to each other, when the pain of the past stands between them?

With plans adrift after a fire burns down their rented holiday cabin, Rahel and Peter find themselves unexpectedly on an isolated farm where Rahel spent many a happy childhood summer. Suddenly, after years of navigating careers, demanding children and the monotony of the daily routine, they find themselves unable to escape each other’s company. With three weeks stretching ahead, they must come to an understanding on whether they have a future together.

What happens when love grows older and passion has faded? When what divides us is greater than what brought us together? And how easy is it to ask the fundamental questions about our relationships?

Praise for LOVE IN FIVE ACTS:

“Highly recommended” The Times

“Exquisite . . . Utterly captivating” Woman and Home

“Unfailingly impressive” Irish Times

“Beautifully direct and lucid prose” Sydney Morning Herald

“A beautiful novel” New European

“Sympathetic and clear-eyed” Financial Times

“An intelligent study of female ambition and frailty” Observer

Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch

Publisher Review

A quietly devastating portrayal of a marriage . . . Krien beautifully conveys Rahel’s sense of impotent frustration, familial tensions and the thwarted desires of middle age — Hannah Beckerman * Observer * [A] slim yet powerful novel about families and relationships . . . subtle and psychologically astute . . . acutely observed — P.D. Smith * Times Literary Supplement * With her trademark hypnotic prose, Krien looks at the nuances of a relationship with honesty and clarity. A stylish, subtle read that digs deeps into the human psyche. — Zoe West * Woman & Home “Book of the Month” * The intersecting of a troubled past, uneasy present and increasingly uncertain future makes for a quiet, reflective read — Catherine Taylor * Irish Times * Deeply engaging . . . Beautifully written, subtle and shines a light on the feelings and desires of middle-aged women — Prudence Wade * Independent * Impactful * Irish Times (Gloss Magazine) * The Fire examines the endurance of long-time love through a couple finding themselves cocooned in an isolated farmhouse for three weeks. — Charlie Connelly * New European * [A] perfectly paced, nuanced, forgiving story of good, flawed people with a family secret at its heart * Saga Magazine “Pick of the Month” * The plot develops with summery lightness, and the intellectual depth of this book is gradually revealed. * Spiegel * Daniela Krien’s The Fire achieves the masterstroke of touching upon the existential without flaunting it. — Rainer Moritz * Neue Zuercher Zeitung * She writes clearly and without frills. Her language is never banal, but always artfully literary. — Anke Jahns * NDR Kultur *