Stones from the River

Synopsis of Stones from the River

«Stones from the River» is the historical novel by Ursula Hegi, published by Simon & Schuster in paperback (525 pages, in English).

It tells the life of Trudi Montag, a short woman who grows up in a small German town in the first half of the twentieth century. From her position as an outsider, she observes those who try to fit in and becomes convinced that being different is a shared secret. The novel follows her evolution from girl to librarian as her community is shaken by the rise of Nazism.

First novel of the Burgdorf cycle. Finalist for the 1995 PEN/Faulkner Award and winner of the Washington State Book Award.

For readers of historical fiction and literary narrative seeking a story about identity, belonging, and memory in twentieth-century Germany.