Mitten im Jungbusch

In her new novel, the Mannheim author Nora Noé processes the biographical memories of her mother and her own childhood memories into a moving piece of contemporary history. Against the backdrop of regional, German, and global political events from 1900 to 1970, she tells the story of the Legrands, who lived in Jungbusch, the working-class district by the Mannheim harbor with its tumultuous history, over four generations. Noé narrates with great empathy and local color about Amelie and Carlo, Marlene and Alfred. She brings to life long-gone times, the traces of which can still be found in Jungbusch today. The events and moments she captures in her family saga, the moving destinies she depicts, are marked by the awareness that our life paths often follow our roots. The narrative speaks of happy and unhappy marriages, fateful encounters, the not always easy family life of generations under one roof, war, illness, times of hardship and happiness, and love. "In the Heart of Jungbusch" is the second novel by Mannheim author Liselotte Jung, published under her mother's maiden name.