Kronos' Kinder

In his new novel, Sergej Lebedew explores his German roots. When the drunken neighbor believes he recognizes Germans among the geese and starts to violently attack them, young Kirill senses that the relationship between Russians and Germans must be a special one. His grandmother Karolina has many stories to tell; she is the last survivor from the German branch of the family. With Karolina's memories in tow, the now-adult Kirill sets out to search for his German origins in Leipzig, Halle, and Münster. In his quest for his ancestors, Kirill uncovers two centuries of German-Russian history. It’s not impossible that two relatives faced each other as enemies in the Battle of Stalingrad. Sergej Lebedew compellingly illustrates in his deeply personal novel how closely and tragically intertwined German and Russian history is.