Die Familie Aubrey

In "The Aubrey Family," a bestseller from 1957, Rebecca West transformed her own childhood into a classic of English literature.

Rose Aubrey is one of four siblings. With the wisdom of a child, she observes her twin sister Mary, whose character perfectly corresponds with her own. There is the beautiful but slow-witted sister Cordelia, who is pitied for being the only one in the family without musical talent. Her spoiled little brother Richard Quinn. Their charming but highly unreliable father Piers, whose foolish business ventures repeatedly push the family to the brink of financial and social ruin. Ultimately, it is their eccentric mother Clare who proves to be the true strength of the family.

Rebecca West paints a loving portrait of an extraordinary Bohemian family at the beginning of the 20th century. The young protagonist Rose explores the elusive boundaries between childhood and adulthood, freedom and dependence, the ordinary and the mysterious.