Peteani:Der Page vom Dalmasse Hotel

The young Friedel Bornemann is urgently looking for a position in Berlin, just like so many others. She has hardly any money left, cannot afford her own room, and is plagued by existential fears. When a friend tells her that the renowned Dalmasse Hotel is looking for a bellboy, an idea strikes her. She could disguise herself as a man. So she quickly cuts her hair, puts on the uniform of her predecessor, and is ready to start her new job as a page. Of course, no one must find out; Friedel—now Friedrich Kannebach—is very afraid that her deception will be uncovered. However, she manages well in the world of the luxury hotel, increasingly growing into her new role until things become turbulent with the arrival of Miss Mabel Wellington from Philadelphia. Friedel, alias Friedrich, proves to be a clever detective and uncovers a long-planned fraud, all while risking exposure as a fraud herself. Maria Peteani has written a fast-paced entertainment novel about a travesty born out of necessity. In the enclosed universe of the grand hotel, the paths of crisis profiteers, fortune seekers, social climbers, economic down-and-outers, and the staff living on the brink of existence intersect. The page from the Dalmasse Hotel was first published in 1927 and was adapted into films in 1933 and 1958. With print runs of up to 200,000 copies and adaptations, Maria Peteani would have a solid place in today's bestseller lists. However, like many other authors, she was unable to reconnect with the public success of the 1920s after World War II. With a foreword by Peter Zimmermann.