Almah - A Viennese Youth
Original title: Almah – Une Jeunesse Viennoise
Synopsis
The heady charm of this novel comes from the contrast between the dark, glittering history that lurks in the background, and the fresh elation emanating from a young life, that of the heroine, stronger than death! — Jean-Marc Bastière, Le Figaro Littéraire
The story of blossoming and of emancipation. — Neuilly Journal
A return to the past as intriguing as it is passionate. — Le Courrier Picard’
An illuminating book, amazingly well-written. — Sud Radio
I read this book with great passion. — Radio Judaïca Lyon
Catherine Bardon always manages to brilliantly carry us along in the winds of history. — Télé Loisirs
Catherine Bardon paints a picture of a Vienna casting its last fires in an Austria on the brink of collapse, left to the jolts of history. — Ouest France
A powerful and compelling coming-of-age novel, a prequel to the bestselling saga The Uprooted
Vienna, 1911. Almah Kahn is born into a Jewish upper-class family. Her father is a renowned surgeon and a famous patron of the arts. Her mother is a talented pianist prone to depression which she tries to cure by consulting the famous Dr. Freud.
Almah grows up in this cultured environment in a city that is a hub for creation in Europe. Her country evolves with her; from the scarred Austria that emerged from World War I to the fall of the House of Habsburg and the dislocation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As she comes of age she and those around can feel Nazism extend its shadow over Europe.
Through her childhood and young adulthood, Almah’s friendships, and first loves, Catherine Bardon paints a Vienna casting its last lights in an Austria on the brink of the abyss.
Marketing Information
- The long-awaited prequel to The Uprooted, with phenomenal success: more than 650,000 copies sold of “the series that transports us” (Olivia de Lamberterie, ELLE)!
- Catherine Bardon is a confirmed author, a “terrific storyteller” (Sud Radio), close to her readers and whose “sense of portraiture and the art of blending the story of an individual destiny into the ferris wheel of collective human adventures” (La Provence) were praised by critics.