Angel Driver

Ditha Brickwell captivates with burlesquely told life stories that bring the world theater of the 20th century to the stage. Guided by her vivid language, we feel empathy for the characters and understand the comedic moments against the dark backdrop of the time. The pearl-stringer Genoveva and the growing Leo share their struggles and brave survival across two eras, and we sense the origins of our current crises - like the apocalyptic horsemen, they emerge: pandemic, hunger, war, and the triumph of evil clowns. Engeltreiber is the first volume of the trilogy Dunkelreise - a family saga spanning a hundred years and its temporal fractures. We encounter strong women and imaginative youths who, pushed to the margins by society, free themselves from their constraints. They escape hunger and deprivation during the war, persecution during the National Socialist era, and the hardships of post-war society. The essayistic and ironic comments of the narrative figure Leo allow us to feel the coldness and loneliness of childhood and youth from that time, which has been passed down through generations.