LAST HOUSE BEFORE THE MOUNTAIN

Beautiful and heartbreaking I absolutely loved it MONICA ALI A poignant captivating beautifully woven family saga As honest as Elena Ferrante with the folkloric intensity of Téa Obreht CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE The final moving paragraph strikes the reader like a knife to the heart OBSERVERMaria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army Maria is left to provide for her family alone Every day is a struggle against starvation the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out for the men left behind But when a red haired stranger arrives in the village Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice whose consequences will affect the lives of her family for generations to come Based on the internationally bestselling and award winning Austrian novelist Monika Helfer s own family history Last House Before the Mountain is a propulsive haunting multi layered saga about love family and the hidden wages of war Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army Maria is left to