That did not work. No magic between the lines or pages, no fireworks, and no dialogues or scenes that could make me cry or laugh. Unlike the first book, this novel couldn´t thrill me. It is especially hard because I know the author duo knows it much better. It seemed as if they were searching for the right words without finding them. As if a blanket covers everything. A lot of things don´t make sense and read illogically. But being back in the 1980s was remarkable.
Die Frauen Vom Lindenhof-Zusammen Können Wir Träumen*
by Katharina OswaldDie Lindenhof Saga #2
Publisher Fischer TB on May 24, 2023Year
Genre Novel
Pages 399
Format Paperback
Source Fischer TB
Goodreads
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Dreams come true when we stick together.1980: Corinna Wagner is just about to start her long-awaited literary scholarship when she receives terrible news: There has been an accident at the Lindenhof, she must immediately succeed her parents and take over the management. Her former friend Petra could be of support, but the estrangement between the two is not easy to overcome. And then there is the journalist Marc: Is he really interested in Corinna? Or does he want to drag the Lindenhof even deeper into the abyss?
Story
Corinna wants a future different from the wood company her parents run. But when her father dies, she is forced to run the business on her mother’s behalf. And her mother is a force. Can Corinna keep what her parents have built? And can she find the love she knows is out there somewhere?
Style
While the first part of the Lindenhof Saga was a five-star pleasure that I just devoured, the second part is the exact opposite. The conflict between Marianne and her daughter Corinna is boring. The controversy between Corinna and Petra is meaningless despite all the potential that exists. But there's just no fire. The writing style is once again very good and easy to read and it was fun to immerse yourself in the 1980s. But the whistle was missing. The sensitivity with which the difficulties and challenges of the first volume were described and presented are not even present here. It's boring, monotonous and dragging. It's a shame, it wasn't pretty at all, despite all the agricultural beauty.
Characters
I was surprised at how naive Corinna was. Why is she talking to the press? Why is she acting so stupid and even making a comment? Especially after she notices how the journalists are twisting the word around in her mouth. And why does Petra's pregnancy have to be reported to the press at all? As self-confident and independent as the company's women are, their behavior tells the opposite.
Conclusion
Despite all the intrigue and the beauty of the Lindenhof, the second volume absolutely disappointed me. There was no magic between pages, let alone lines. There is no spirit of optimism, no strength from the main character, and even though a painful blow of fate hits Corinna hard at the end, it is cold and impersonal. It's a shame, that was a big disappointment. Hopefully, the last part will be better because I know the authors can do it.
Happy reading
*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. This title was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language.
Deutsche Rezension
Stil
War der erste Teil der Lindenhof Saga noch ein Fünf-Sterne-Vergnügen, das ich nur so verschlungen habe, ist der zweite Teil das genaue Gegenteil. Der Konflikt zwischen Marianne und ihrer Tochter Corinna ist langweilig. Die Kontroverse zwischen Corinna und Petra nichtssagend trotz allen vorhandenen Potenzials. Aber da kommt einfach kein Feuer auf. Zwar ist der Schreibstil erneut sehr gut und einfach zu lesen und es hat Spaß gemacht, in die 1980er einzutauchen. Aber der Pfiff hat gefehlt. Die Feinfühligkeit, mit der die Schwierigkeiten und Herausforderungen des ersten Bandes beschrieben und dargeboten wurden, sind hier gar nicht erst vorhanden. Es ist langweilig, monoton und zieht sich dahin. Schade, das war überhaupt nicht schön, trotz aller landwirtschaftlicher Schönheit.
Charaktere
Ich war überrascht, wie naiv Corinna ist. Warum spricht die mit der Presse? Warum verhält sie sich so dumm und gibt überhaupt einen Kommentar ab? Vor allem, nachdem sie merkt, wie ihr die Journalisten das Wort im Mund herumdrehen? Und warum muss der Presse gegenüber überhaupt Rechenschaft über die Schwangerschaft von Petra abgegeben werden? So selbstbewusst und selbstständig die Frauen des Unternehmens sind, ihr Verhalten erzählt das Gegenteil.
Resultat
Trotz aller Intrigen und der Schönheit des Lindenhofs hat mich der zweite Band absolut enttäuscht. Hier gab es keine Magie zwischen den Seiten, geschweige denn Zeilen. Keine Aufbruchstimmung, keine Stärke der Hauptfigur und auch wenn am Ende ein schmerzhafter Schicksalsschlag Corinna hart trifft, es war kalt und unpersönlich. Schade, das war eine große Enttäuschung. Hoffentlich wird der letzte Teil wieder besser, denn ich weiß, dass die Autorinnen es können.
Katharina Oswald
Andrea Bottlinger and Claudia Hornung write together as Katharina Oswald. Both were born in Baden-Württemberg and love to imagine the fate of women from different decades. They have known each other for a long time and complement each other perfectly when writing: Andrea always pays attention to the structure of the story and Claudia delves deeply into the details and emotions. Together they have created a gripping family saga.
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