What You Can See From Here

What You Can See From Here / Mariana Leky
trans. from the German by Tess Lewis
London: Picador, 2022, c2017.
336 p.

I really enjoyed this read that I came across by chance in my library's collections. it's a German book, set in a small village in Western Germany, near a large forest. 

10 year old Luise lives with her parents, and her grandmother Selma, who she is very close to. As the story begins, there is drama: Selma has dreamt of an okapi, a sign of forthcoming death. The villlagers take this omen seriously, but when a death comes, it is not one any of them expected. 

The opening section of the book finishes with this stark conclusion to Luise's childhood, and the next part begins when she's older. The village is still the same; all the oddballs and local residents behave in much the same ways. Selma's friend The Optician still visits and is still silently in love with her -- Luise's parents are still barely holding their marriage together what with her father travelling the world and rarely home -- Sad Marlies is still a grumpy recluse -- but Luise comes across three Buddhist monks in the woods while looking for her dog, and that changes her life once again. 

Another ten years go by, and then Luise's life alters again when Selma dies. This shakes up the community, moving people into new configurations. Luise now works at a bookshop in a neighbouring town, her mother has left her father, and her Buddhist monk returns to their village from his monastery in Japan. There's change in the air. 

The delight of this book is in the style, a relaxed storytelling pace with rich characters, quirky moments, but also some serious events as well. It's an easy read, which flows, and the humour and heart really kept me engaged. I found that the way this book dealt with love and loss, with familial ties and expectations, and the need to find your own place in the world, was eminently readable. I was touched by it, and also delighted with its quirky charm. It was a great find, not too esoteric or experimental, but just a good read.