Stones from the River

by UrsulaHegi (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  1997

  $4.51

  Set in a small German town, this novel spans both World Wars. Through the voice of Trudi Montag, it explores the secrets and actions that shape the people's fates. Trudi is a Zwerg, or a dwarf - short, undesirable and different, and she is the voice of anyone who has ever tried to fit in.

• Used

  Paperback
  1999

  $3.40

  Trudi Montag is a Zwerg - a dwarf - short, undesirable, different, the plucky but sometimes defeated voice of anyone who has ever tried to fit in. Eventually she learns that being different is a secret that all humans share - from her mother who flees into madness, to her childhood friend Georg whose parents always wanted a girl, and therefore treat him as one, to the Jews Trudi harbours in her cellar when her small town is hit by the lead up to World War II. Ursula Hegi brings us a timeless and unforgettable story in Trudi and a small German town, weaving together a profound tapestry of emotional power, humanity, and truth.

• Used

  Hardcover
  1997

  $7.73

  Stones from the River is a daring, dramatic and complex novel of life in Germany. It is set in Burgdorf, a small fictional German town, between 1915 and 1951. The protagonist is Trudi Montag, a Zwerg -- the German word for dwarf woman. As a dwarf she is set apart, the outsider whose physical otherness has a corollary in her refusal to be a part of Burgdorf's silent complicity during and after World War II. Trudi establishes her status and power, not through beauty, marriage, or motherhood, but rather as the town's librarian and relentless collector of stories. Through Trudi's unblinking eyes, we witness the growing impact of Nazism on the ordinary townsfolk of Burgdorf as they are thrust on to a larger moral stage and forced to make choices that will forever mark their lives. Stones from the River is a story of secrets, parceled out masterfully by Trudi -- and by Ursula Hegi -- as they reveal the truth about living through unspeakable times.