11/09/2023

Die Frauen Vom Lindenhof-Gemeinsam Der Zukunft Entgegen by Katharina Oswald

I'm excited! That was a worthy conclusion to the Lindenhof-Saga. Full of emotions, drama, and great characters. Well, I could have shot one or two of them on the moon, but the entertainment value was there. And Franziska is one heck of a fantastic girl. Despite all odds, she goes her way. Even when it means to do the unthinkable.

Die Frauen Vom Lindenhof-Gemeinsam Der Zukunft Entgegen*

by Katharina Oswald
Die Lindenhof Saga #3
Publisher Fischer TB on September 27, 2023
Genre Novel
Pages 429
Format Paperback
Source Fischer TB
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶✶

Hohenlohe, 1999: Franziska Wagner wants nothing more than to live out her talent for woodwork and help shape the future of the Lindenhof. But her grandmother Marianne won't let her. Her prejudices against Franziska's origins are too deep. Marianne would much rather hand the farm over to her niece Helena, who has evil plans behind her back. Franziska runs away and follows in the footsteps of her other family to the Ore Mountains. There she gets to know the famous Seiffen wood art - and the sensitive Christian. Will her love finally separate Franziska from the Lindenhof or will she reunite with the Wagners? (personal translation © by Vi at Inkvotary)

Story

If Franziska knows one thing, it is that she is not welcome in her family at the Lindenhof. Neither her mother nor her father defends her when Grandma Marianne attacks her, which she does all the time. And Franziska is tired of not knowing where she belongs. There must be people somewhere who like her and accept her for who she is. No ifs and buts. And so Franziska decides to look for her biological grandmother in order to get to know her.

Style

This novel had everything I missed in the last one. The language was kept clear and simple. The scenes had everything from humorous to delicious to cruel and bitter. And the main character, Franziska, is an absolute highlight for an eighteen-year-old. On the one hand, she is a bit naive, but on the other hand, she has already experienced things that clearly set her apart from others her age. The two authors described the conflicts that arise from this in a sensitive and exciting way. I often had to put the book down for a moment, take a deep breath, and then continue reading again. There was a lot of conflict material between the sides.

Characters

I could have thrown Marianne against the wall from the start. While I admired and liked her incredibly in the first part, in this last volume she turned out to be cruel, unfair, and totally bitter. And to see that not even her own daughter Corinna made the effort to defend Franziska or show backbone towards Marianne, that horrified me. What mother, adoptive or biological, does something like that? On the other hand, you also have to say that the author duo has really delivered a brilliant performance here. The way the ladies brought out the emotions here was brilliant!

Franziska has just turned eighteen and feels absolutely unwanted. Neither her mother Corinna nor her father Marc give her the support she needs from her grandmother Marianne. Nobody defends her when she reveals her cruel niceties towards her granddaughter, and she doesn't sit at the table when the staff discusses projects. As if Franziska had no place at the Lindenhof. On the other hand, she is also accused of betraying the family when Franziska visits her biological family to see whether her place might be there.

Conclusion

I am completely thrilled. A novel full of drama, emotions, and injustice. The authors have turned many things from right to left and back again. I didn't always like it, but it was perfect for the plot. If you don't know the Lindenhof saga yet: read!

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. The book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

In diesem Roman war alles vorhanden, was ich im Letzten vermisst habe. Die Sprache klar und einfach gehalten. Die Szenen hatten von humorvoll über köstlich bis hin zu grausam und verbittert alles dabei. Und die Hauptfigur Franziska ist für eine achtzehnjährige ein absolutes Highlight. Einerseits etwas naiv, andererseits hat sie schon Dinge erlebt, die sie von anderen ihres Alters deutlich unterscheidet. Die Konflikte, die daraus entstehen, beschrieben die beiden Autorinnen auf feinfühlige und spannende Weise. Da musste ich oftmals kurz das Buch aus der Hand legen, einmal tief durchatmen, um anschließend wieder weiterlesen zu können. Da war viel Konfliktmaterial zwischen den Seiten.

Charaktere

Von Beginn an hätte ich Marianne an die Wand schmeißen können. Hab ich sie im ersten Teil noch unglaublich bewundert und gemocht, hat sie sich in diesem letzten Band als grausam, unfair und total verbittert erwiesen. Und zu sehen, dass nicht mal ihre eigene Tochter Corinna sich die Mühe macht, Franziska zu verteidigen bzw. gegenüber Marianne Rückgrat zu zeigen, das hat mich entsetzt. Welche Mutter, egal ob Adoptivmutter oder leibliche Mutter, macht so etwas? Auf der anderen Seite muss man aber auch sagen, dass das Autorinnenduo hier wirklich eine Glanzleistung abgeliefert hat. Die Art und Weise, wie die Damen hier die Emotionen herausgearbeitet haben, genial!

Franziska ist gerade achtzehn geworden und fühlt sich absolut ungewollt. Weder ihre Mutter Corinna noch ihr Vater Marc geben ihr den Rückhalt, den sie gegenüber ihrer Oma Marianne braucht. Keiner nimmt sie in Schutz, wenn diese ihre grausamen Nettigkeiten gegenüber der Enkeltochter auspackt und auch sonst sitzt sie nicht am Tisch, wenn die Belegschaft über Projekte berät. Als ob Franziska keinen Platz auf dem Lindenhof hätte. Auf der anderen Seite wird ihr aber auch vorgeworfen, die Familie zu hintergehen, als Franziska ihre leibliche Familie besucht, um zu sehen, ob ihr Platz vielleicht dort ist.

Resultat

Ich bin restlos begeistert. Ein Roman voller Drama, Emotionen und Ungerechtigkeit. Die Autorinnen haben so manches einmal von rechts auf links und wieder zurückgedreht. Gefiel mir nicht immer, aber für die Handlung war es genau passend. Wer die Lindenhof-Saga noch nicht kennt: Lesen!

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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9/28/2023

Die Frauen Vom Lindenhof-Zusammen Können Wir Träumen by Katharina Oswald

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 Oswald
Die Lindenhof Saga #2
Publisher Fischer TB on May 24, 2023Year
Genre Novel
Pages 399
Format Paperback
Source Fischer TB
Goodreads
✶✶✶

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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2/24/2023

Die Frauen Vom Lindenhof-Ein Neuanfang Für Uns by Katharina Oswald

I have no clue why I wanted to read this novel. The cover is not really what I call a beautiful design but somehow it spoke to me. And after reading the summary I was curious enough and asked for it. I am still trying to figure out what exactly it was that got me. The wonderfully created figures or the way how the author duo describes the setting or was it the dialogues? I cannot tell what it is that is fascinating to me about this story. But one thing I know. The author duo has touched a nerve and given me some wonderful reading moments. This book is one of the few ones that doesn´t need a loud voice to be heard.

Die Frauen Vom Lindenhof-Ein Neuanfang Für Uns

by Katharina Oswald
Die Lindenhof Saga #1
Publisher Fischer TB on January 25, 2023
Genre Novel
Pages 459
Format Paperback
Source Fischer TB
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶✶

There is magic in every new beginning.

Hohenlohe 1953: After the death of her father, Marianne, her mother, and her little sisters can barely make ends meet. The old carpentry shop, once the pride of the family, is falling into disrepair. But Marianne does not want to surrender to fate. She loves the smell of the workshop too much, the gentle warmth of the wood under her fingers. She wants to rebuild the family business and dare something completely new. But who do you trust as a woman in these times? Marianne has to fight for her dream. But then she falls in love with the traumatized war returnee Alexandre of all people...

Story

After the war, Marianne wants to rebuild her father’s carpentry to finish the doll house and use it to create her own doll furniture. But as a woman, no bank is giving her the money she needs to fix the roof or to buy wood. But when her mother tells her about her grandfather's past, she starts to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Style

I really like how this book draws attention with soft tones. Yes, there is also a character here who causes trouble and upset, and yes, after a short time, she got on my nerves a lot. But the rest of the story is absolutely coherent. The author duo writes sensitively about a time that has almost become alien to us today. Despite my great enthusiasm for the first part of this trilogy, there is one downer. Why a teenager who is barely fifteen years old is allowed to show himself alone in public and be out and about with a man who is a few years older than that, I still can't get my head around.

Characters

A family where shortly before the end of the war the father was drafted and unfortunately never came home was nothing unusual at the time. Unfortunately. Here the novel has a tone that still largely determines the life of the main character even after the war.

Marianne fascinated me from the start. She knows what she wants, fights incredible odds, and learns to assert herself in a male-dominated world. Your inventiveness is impressive. How she treats her fellow human beings too. And the way she treats a character, in particular, made me laugh more than once. Oh yes, Marianne rocks the novel in her very own way.

Conclusion

Admittedly, the cover isn't really my thing. But what is between the two book covers, all the more so. Here, the subject of war and the post-war period is dealt with in a very sensitive way, without losing sight of the entertainment value. Great cinema in my opinion.

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. The book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Mir gefällt es sehr, dass dieses Buch mit leisen Tönen die Aufmerksamkeit auf sich zieht. Ja, es gibt auch hier eine Figur, die für Ärger und Verstimmung sorgt und ja, die hat mich schon nach kurzer Zeit sehr genervt. Aber trotzdem ist der Rest der Geschichte absolut stimmig. Das Autorenduo schreibt feinfühlig über eine Zeit, die uns heute fast schon fremd geworden ist. Einen Wermutstropfen gibt es allerdings trotz meiner großen Begeisterung für den ersten Teil dieser Trilogie. Warum ein kaum fünfzehnjähriger Teenager sich mit einem um einige Jahre älteren Mann so ungeniert in der Öffentlichkeit allein zeigen und unterwegs sein darf, das will mir auch jetzt noch nicht in den Kopf.

Charaktere

Eine Familie, wo kurz vor Kriegsende der Vater doch noch eingezogen wird und leider nicht mehr nach Hause kommt, das ist damals nichts Ungewöhnliches gewesen. Leider. Hier gibt es dem Roman einen Ton, der das Leben der Hauptfigur auch nach dem Krieg noch maßgeblich bestimmt.

Marianne hat mich von Beginn an fasziniert. Sie weiß, was sie will, kämpft gegen unglaubliche Widerstände und lernt sich in einer von Männern dominierten Welt zu behaupten. Ihr Ideenreichtum ist beeindruckend. Wie sie mit ihren Mitmenschen umgeht auch. Und wie sie mit einer Figur im Besonderen umgeht, das hat mir mehr als einmal ein Lachen entlockt. Oh ja, Marianne rockt den Roman auf ihre ganz eigene Art.

Resultat

Zugegeben, das Cover ist jetzt nicht so meins. Aber das, was zwischen den beiden Buchdeckeln steckt, dafür umso mehr. Hier wird auf sehr sensible Art mit dem Thema Krieg und der Nachkriegszeit umgegangen, ohne dabei den Unterhaltungswert aus den Augen zu verlieren. Ganz großes Kino meiner Ansicht nach.

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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