Nowhere is home

Author: (Austrian) Stefan Zweig / Xu Jigu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: This is a semi-autobiographical novel where author Stephanie Zweig narrates a period of her life under the shadow of Nazism, telling a love story spanning two continents. The novel was published in 1995 and has been reprinted multiple times, consistently ranking on the "Top 10 Literary Bestsellers" list for several months, with a total circulation exceeding 500,000 copies. To escape the clutches of the Nazis, the Jewish Walter family came to a remote farm in Kenya. At first, wife Yettel struggled to adapt to the backward life there and constantly longed to return to her homeland. Although Walter had already given up on Germany, he still yearned for all he had lost. Only their daughter Regina harbored goodwill and curiosity toward the local life, especially talking endlessly with the family servant Owol and getting along very well. Due to the gap in their understanding of the new life, the rift between the couple gradually widened. At this time, Yettel met compatriot Martin, and their subtle feelings began to grow. After World War II ended, Walter was appointed as a lawyer in his homeland. Just as he was overjoyed and eager to return to Germany, he discovered that Yettel and Regina had already fully integrated into the local life. Would they give up everything here to follow him back to Germany? How would the relationship between Yettel and Martin unfold? The renowned German director Lincks adapted and filmed the same-named movie based on this book, which won five major awards, including the 75th Academy Award for "Best Foreign Language Film" and the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival's "Golden Bear Award."