Das mangelnde Licht

The best novel to date by Nino Haratischwili. Respect! In the late 1980s, four girls come together in the damp walls and enchanted wooden balconies of Tbilisi's old town, seemingly as different as possible at first glance, yet deeply connected. The first great love that can only bloom in secret, the erupting violence in the streets, power outages, the heroin flooding the country, and the division of a young democracy in civil war – their friendship withstands it all, until an unforgivable betrayal and a tragic death ultimately tear them apart. It is not until 2019 in Brussels, during a major retrospective featuring photographs of their deceased friend, that a meeting occurs which may allow for forgiveness. Nino Haratischwili captivated both critics and readers with her latest novel, which remained on the Spiegel bestseller list for weeks after its release. The great Georgian-German storyteller once again succeeds in balancing the fascinating portrait of a country with an intimate exploration of friendship.