#HFVB Blog Tour Distant Sgns by Ann Richter review +GIVEAWAY

Distant Signs by Anne Richter

Publication Date: November 7, 2019
Neem Tree Press
Hardcover; 240 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Saga

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Synopsis

Distant Signs is an intimate portrait of two families spanning three generations amidst turbulent political change, behind and beyond the Berlin Wall. In 1960s East Germany, Margret, a professor's daughter from the city, meets and marries Hans, from a small village in Thuringia. The couple struggle to contend with their different backgrounds, and the emotional scars they bear from childhood in the aftermath of war.

 As East German history gradually unravels, with collision of the personal and political, their two families' hidden truths are quietly revealed. An exquisitely written novel with strongly etched characters that stay with you long after the book is finished and an authentic portrayal of family life behind the iron curtain based on personal experience of the author who is East German and was 16 years old at the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Why do families repeat destructive patterns of behaviour across generations? Should the personal take precedence over the political? Can we rise above our histories and political identities to forge a new understanding of the past and to welcome change?

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My thoughts:

Distant Signs is an artfully written novel that looks into the lives of two families, three generations spanning from 1965 to 1992 and the effects of WWII.  It's an interesting read but a slow moving one, which I liked.  I'm a fan of historical fiction and usually read a novel of this genre in a few days, not so with this one.  This reader needed to spend extra time with the characters so I went bask and read several passages a few times.

Margaret and Hans are the main protagonists who have differing views which held my interest throughout. I enjoy reading about family dynamics although this is different from what I normally read, I found the  plot held my interest throughout.  The post war, the fall of the Berlin wall and the finely crafted characters made this a very enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through  HFVB Tours.  All opinions are my own.


About the author

Anne Richter was born in 1973 in Jena, in the former German Democratic Republic. Her degree in Romance languages and English included study periods in England, Italy and France. In 2011, Anne was nominated for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, a highly regarded German-language literary award. Her debut novel, Distant Signs, was published in Germany in 2013. Anne is currently writing her second novel.

Douglas Irving is Scottish. He studied German and Spanish at Aberdeen University. In 2014 he completed a Masters in Translation at Glasgow University. His first translation, Crossing: A Love Story by Anna Seghers was published in 2016 in the US to positive reviews. His translation of Anna Seghers’ last work published in her lifetime, Three Women from Haiti, is set to follow.

Blog Tour Schedule

Thursday, November 7

Review at Broken Teepee

Review at Comet Readings

Friday, November 8

Review at Book Geek

Sunday, November 10

Excerpt at A Darn Good Read

Tuesday, November 12

Review at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Wednesday, November 13

Excerpt at To Read, Or Not to Read

Thursday, November 14

Feature at Lost_in_a_book_reviewer

Friday, November 15

Review at Red Headed Book Lady

Monday, November 18

Review at Gwendolyn's Books

Tuesday, November 19

Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Wednesday, November 20

Review at 100 Pages a Day

Thursday, November 21

Review at Peaceful Pastime

Friday, November 22

Feature at What Is That Book About

Saturday, November 23

Review at Impressions In Ink

Monday, November 25

Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, November 26

Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, November 27

Feature at Just One More Chapter

Friday, November 29

Feature at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of A Distant Signs by Anne Richter! 

Click here to enter

Giveaway Rules

- Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on November 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

- Paperback giveaway is open internationally.
- Only one entry per household.
- All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
- The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.