Love in Case of Emergency by Daniela Krien

The dilemmas and responsibilities faced by these modern, middle-aged women will be familiar to all western societies, and in this respect the author has created a novel with global resonance and appeal. These shades of nuance in the storytelling, reflecting its keen psychological realism, make for a compelling read.Īlthough Leipzig features prominently in Die Liebe, giving it a strong sense of place, the stories themselves have a far wider reach. What becomes very evident, moreover, is that these women are not mere victims of toxic male behaviour, but that they are to a considerable extent the agents of their own misfortune. The individual stories lay bare their messy lives, throwing a spotlight on their failed relationships in the past as well as complicated ones in the present. The novel, which is centred on Leipzig, deals with five women in their forties, all of them connected in some way.