Floating in My Mother's Palm

If Ursula Hegi's "Floating In My Mother's Palm" doesn't read like a novel, it's because it is a collection of loosely but seamlessly connected short stories which offer the reader a delectable taste of provincial life in post-war Germany. The unifying factor is Hanna Malter, a young girl growing up in the small town of Burgdorf amidst a seemingly large and disparate cast of characters who in one way or another shape her childhood experiences. These stories tell of idiosyncracies, deformities, illegimacy, masochism, incest, dark premonitions, murder, suicide, madness, magic and healing, but in the most gentle, lyrical and dream like way possible, ie a million miles away from the cheap sensationalism common to purveyors of pulp fiction. show more Each story is complete in itself and without exception, beautifully told. Readers of this wonderful collection of vignettes is going to have his own personal favourites. Therein lies the fun - it's like choosing from a box of chocolates. There is a pervading sense of sadness in these tales which spring from the religious limitations and provincial-mindedness of a society on the fringe, but you're never conscious of it until it's over and you get the chance to reflect on it. Hegi's talent and integrity as a writer is evident in the way she has achieved the near impossible, that of transforming characters with the makings of the grotesque into believable human beings. The result is a poetic and strangely uplifting novel that is a joy to read. Highly recommended. show less

A beautiful and touching collection of stories, Floating in My Mother’s Palm invokes a small town on the Rhein in post-war Germany. The book is driven by characters, from the all-too recognizable neighbor resting her elbows on a pillow as she gazes out the window all day long to the dwarf librarian who fuels the town’s gossip mill. Although described as a novel, the stories are fairly disjointed, with each one focusing on different characters and situations until we emerge at the end with an idea of the town’s inhabitants. We examine closely, then draw away a bit and find ourselves with a full and vibrant picture.

The narrator is a young girl, varying in age from not quite born in the first story, to a teenager at the end. As she show more discusses the world she grew up in and the people she knew, she herself is strongly influenced by her adventurous artist mother, who is constantly painting images of the town just as Hanna, the narrator, paints the town in words. It is clear in the end that she is her mother’s daughter – impulsive, sometimes rash, yet caring and with an eye for the beautiful and the unseen.

Each character and story is memorable, as is the town itself. The picture, hazy at first, becomes clearer and clearer as the same vistas are evoked in different stories and moods, until the whole town is built solidly in your mind.

A lovely book which I will surely revisit in the future show less

I would nearly classify this book as a collection of short stories, although by the end of the book, the reader is aware that the main character is Hanna. From time to time, this distinction is unclear as you learn about the lives of the people in town.

Hegi has a very pleasant writing style that feels naive and whimsical, fitting as reality is filtered through the mind of a child. This stands out in stark contrast to some of the darker undertones of the recollections and backstories recanted about the denizens of this post-wwII German town. My particular favorite has a pack of German Shepherds (you'll know it when you get there).

Overall, a very nice book. My attention has been caught - adding her other novels to the list.

Profoundly insightful, incredibly haunting, both heartbreakingly sad and heartwarmingly charming, lyrical and poetic in dealing with some very difficult life experiences, this book is destined to be one of my top reads of 2011.

In small town post WWII, 1950's Burgdorf Germany, pre-teen Trudy Malter provides insights into colorful characters, rich in history and life experience.

Possessing the soul of her artistic, carefree mother, and the kind, gentleness of her father, Trudy listens to the stories of the towns people and deftly provides insights into their personalities while absorbing their joys, frustrations and sorrows.

In a series of short stories, each well connected, Heigi brilliantly develops characters that shine through their show more struggles.

This is exquisitely, beautifully written, as one emotionally laden story follows another, until at the end the reader cannot help but sigh and feel sad that the book is finished.

Highly Recommended. show less

With a lyrical touch, Hegi paints a distinctive portrait of post-war Germany. The emotional lives of her characters are vividly rendered though a series of vignettes describing life in Burgdorf. Hegi's vivid imagery lingers long after the final page turns. A sad, beautiful, and evocative read, the novel's conclusion resonates with all the simple complexity of found truth. Perfect for introspective consumption while soaking in a hot tub.

This is a short novel that in many ways reads more like a collection of essays. It's a series of short vignettes about the people who live in a small German town in the 1950s. The narrator is a teenage girl, born just after WWII, and much of the novel deals with the consequences of war for the various townspeople. This is a town populated by a truly eclectic cast of characters. Hegi does an excellent job of delving deep into and developing each of her characters and their relationships to one another. This is the same town that was the focus of Hegi's novel Stones from the River, which is set in the same town in the interwar period and WWII. Some of the characters appear also in Stones, some do not, and they don't necessarily occupy the show more same places in each book. Trudi Montag, the central character in Stones from the River is far less sympathetic and far less interesting in this book. From publication dates it appears that Hegi wrote this book before she wrote Stones from the River, though I read them in the opposite order. The characters and life of the town are far more fully developed in Stones, though character development is still clearly Hegi's forte, even in this book. For those interested in Hegi's work, I recommend reading Stones first. Had I not had the background I did from Stones, I think I would have found this book less interesting. show less

Hanna loses her mother at a young age but this book is not only a reflection of her mother, but of the people and their stories in her town. Told from Hanna's point of view and at different ages, the people in her town becomes alive through her eyes.

Beautifully written, haunting stories. Stories of when her housekeeper's son finds out he's illegimate; when she watches her childhood friend raped by her grandfather gives up the baby she had come to love; when she watches as her neighbor in the apartment above them give himself to man after man who degrades him. There are happy stories too..of her mother teaching her to swim during thunderstorms, of her careful fathers one reckless act, of Trudi's great romantic moment.

I loved this book show more and want to read others by the same author. show less