KRISTINE BILKAU

A small town on the notrth baltic chanel, between nature, the district town and industry, shortly after the turn of the year. In the middle of everyday life, a family disappears without a trace. The abandoned house becomes the mental center of the neighbors: Julia, in her late thirties, who wishes in vain for a child, who recently moved here from the big city with her boyfriend and runs a small ceramics store with an online store. Astrid, in her early sixties, who has been running a practice in the nearby county seat for decades and worries about her aunt who has grown old. And then there's the mysterious child who appears in the missing family's garden.

They all circle around each other like strangers, seemingly unnoticed by those closest to them, wanting connection yet retreating into privacy. And they all have secrets, longings and fears. Their paths cross, their stories connect, as they seek what we all long for: Security, belonging and familiarity.

Nominated for the German Book Prize 2022