Stones from the River

Ursula Hegi

Trudi Montag was born in 1915 near Dusseldorf, Germany. That would not be so unusual, except for the fact that she was a dwarf. She is the main character in an epic work of fiction authored by Ursula Hegi. Stones from the River is a very remarkable work of fiction.

Had this book not been recommended by an avid reader, and someone whom I know to have good taste I would never have bought it, and I certainly would have put it down after about 50 pages. I mean, give me a break, who cares about a female dwarf in pre-War Germany!

However, the writing is remarkable. The characters just draw the reader into a web and the reader cannot escape. I was caught and I loved it. This is not a new novel, and it was even a best seller. However I do not think it is very well known and that is why I feel I am doing some a service in calling attention to this gem.

It is a fantastic work of compassion and insight. Not only that, the understanding I gained about small town life in Germany from late WWI until after WWII was incredibly revealing. Those of you who are not afraid to tackle a five hundred page novel about a character with whom you might think you have nothing in common with, and a period in history that was very sad and often cruel, will be richly rewarded and hopefully find great enjoyment in the reading.

Review by Len oppenheim