About this item
An avid member of the Hitler Youth in 1940s Vienna, Johannes Betzler discovers his parents are hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa behind a false wall in their home. His initial horror turns to interest - then love and obsession. After his parents disappear, Johannes is the only one aware of Elsa's existence in the house and the only one responsible for her survival. By turns disturbing and blackly comic, haunting and cleverly satirical, Christine Leunens's captivating and masterful novel - sold in 16 countries and the basis for a major forthcoming film by Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnorak,What We Do in the Shadows) - examines this world of truth and lies, laying bare the darkest corners of the human soul.
About the Author
Christine Leunens is born in Hartford, Connecticut to an Italian mother and a Belgian father. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University. She has published three novels and has been translated into eighteen languages. In 2012 she was awarded a PhD in Creative Writing by Victoria University and her novel A Can of Sunshine was selected as 'Best Books of the Year 2013' by the NZ Herald. Her novel Caging Skies, has been adapted to theatre in 2017. Taika Waititi's film adaptation, JoJo Rabbit, has been released in October 2019 by Fox Searchlight. The French translation of Caging Skies was nominated for the Prix Médicis Étranger and the Prix du Roman FNAC. She currently lives in New Zealand with her family.