Ida Frohnmeyer's novel, written in the 1920s but feeling incredibly fresh, zooms in on the aftermath of the Great War through the eyes of one ordinary Berlin family. The fighting has stopped, but the real work—the work of picking up the pieces—is just beginning.

The Story

We meet the Hoffmanns: Friedrich, a weary clerk; his wife, Elsa, who has held everything together; and their son, Martin, who returns from the front a stranger. The plot is deceptively simple. It's about Martin trying to find a job in a broken economy, his parents tiptoeing around his moods, and the three of them navigating a new, awkward domesticity. The tension comes from what's not said. A slammed door, a half-finished sentence, a memory that flashes across Martin's face—these are the building blocks of the story. The war is a ghost in every room, affecting everything from their finances to how they pour a cup of coffee.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me was how real it all felt. Frohnmeyer doesn't give us heroes or villains, just deeply human people who are exhausted, grieving, and trying their best. Elsa's quiet desperation to 'fix' her son is heartbreaking. Martin's anger and isolation are palpable. You keep reading not for a big twist, but to see if this fragile family unit can bend without breaking. It's a powerful look at trauma, not with today's clinical language, but with the raw, confused understanding of the time. It makes you think about all the quiet, private wars that continue long after the treaties are signed.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for readers who love character-driven stories and nuanced historical fiction. If you enjoyed the intimate family portraits in novels like All Quiet on the Western Front but wanted to see what happened after the soldier came home, this is your next read. It's not a fast-paced adventure; it's a slow, thoughtful, and ultimately moving look at resilience. A forgotten gem that deserves to be found again.