Withered Leaves

A Novel. Vol. 1

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Pages: 146

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About this book

Moonlight on the Baltic coast moves Eva to tears, while her father worries about cold winds and the commercial future of seaside resorts. This opening places a sensitive young woman between the beauty she feels and the practical judgments of her parents. A holiday party of singers brings another set of values into the scene, especially when Signora Bollini insists that art needs freedom from business demands.

In this first volume of Rudolf von Gottschall's novel, translated from German by Bertha Ness, scenic description shares space with pointed conversation about manners, money and artistic life. The later excerpt follows Blanden back to his lakeside castle, where he imagines Eva beside him even as an election requires his attention. The contrasting voices of parents, performers and prospective partners offer readers a social novel in which private hopes take shape amid public expectations and carefully observed surroundings.