Reunion (Vintage Past) - Softcover

Fred Uhlman, born in Stuttgart in 1901, claimed that his South-West German homeland of Württemberg, made him a "romantic" for life and formed the essence of his sensibilities as a poet. Understandable since it was also the home of Schiller, Hölderlin, Mörike, Weiland, Uhland, Schlegel, Hegel, Schellingand Herman Hesse. Uhlman's name is not out of place among these, and the beauty of that birthplace illuminates every line of his stunning fictional memoir Reunion. He died in 1985.

"A brilliant work of art that deserves a far wider readership" -- Ian McEwan "I loved Reunion and found it very moving. It's a rediscovered novella, only 80 pages long, a real gem about how friendship can be challenged by historical circumstance" -- John Boyne "Quite simply, a perfect work of art. With the utmost delicacy and care, Uhlman distils all the rage and tragedy of the second world war into one brief childhood friendship, and the final line is the most shattering of any novel I know. It is one of those books that is an unfailing test of character: if you give it to someone, and they don't like it, you should sever all ties, and possibly call the police" -- Sarah Perry * Guardian, Book of the Year * "I read it in a gulp...very powerful" -- Deborah Moggach "A perfect little gem of a story with a kick in the tail - and a resonance that rings louder than ever just when you think the story is over" -- Meg Rosoff