A love story across cultures and a son's longing for his mother.
In 1968, Teo, a young Laotian, arrives at Berlin's East Station. Love leads her to East Germany, far from her family. However, her new life in Potsdam, seemingly a socialist idyll, is challenging. Even her perfect German cannot dispel the daily sense of being an outsider as an Asian woman.
Fast forward to Christmas 1982: André, Teo's son, is thirteen, wishing to avoid his teacher's harassment and go unnoticed. It is not easy as a half-Laotian citizen of East Germany with a disabled younger brother. Yet, everything is fine as long as his mother remains healthy, his brother stays calm, and the mother and grandmother get along. However, a series of tragic events shake the family.
Nostalgia, perhaps André Kubiczek's most personal book, delves into his relationship with his mother, who tried to find a home in a foreign land. It offers a unique perspective on life in East Germany from a migrant's viewpoint. This novel is a poignant and warm exploration of familiarity, foreignness, and love across cultures and prejudices.
"This light, heavy book breaks your heart." Der Tagesspiegel on Der perfekte Kuss
