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A review by saareman
Marzahn, Mon Amour by Katja Oskamp
4.0
A Podiatrist's Tales
Review of the Peirene Press paperback edition (February 2022) translated by [a:Jo Heinrich|22035443|Jo Heinrich|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] from the German language original [b:Marzahn, mon amour: Geschichten einer Fußpflegerin|49947323|Marzahn, mon amour Geschichten einer Fußpflegerin|Katja Oskamp|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563784047l/49947323._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72234860] (2019)
Marzhan, Mon Amour is a series of short story portraits of various customers, primarily seniors, of a writer in her mid-life career change job as a podiatrist in the beauty salon situated in the Marzahn tower-block district of Berlin, which she shares with owner Tiffy and co-worker Flocke. The book seems to be marketed as fiction, but its premise is taken from author Katja Oskamp's own real-world experience in the same job. There are occasional interludes where you learn the background of the beauty salon workers themselves, such as:
The 15 or so customer vignettes are very sympathetic portrayals of people who are often living or have lived difficult lives, for which their foot-care problems become a metaphor. Along the way you also become quite wrapped up in appreciating the love and care that the salon workers have for their patients. Above all the book reads as a testament to perseverance and the acceptance of change.
I was happy to have this introduction to Katja Oskamp's writing in this first English translation of her work. The author has three other books to her credit in GR's bibliography.
I read Marzhan, mon amour in advance of its official publication date in February 2022 due to my annual subscription to Peirene Press. Subscribers receive the publisher's books several weeks ahead of their official release date. Marzhan, mon amour is the first of Peirene's 3-book publication plan for 2022.
Trivia and Links
Peirene Press will likely have an online book launch in the next several weeks for Marzahn, mon amour and you can watch for it at their events page here.
Marzahn, Mon Amour is the planned group read for the March 17, 2022 meeting of the Borderless Book Club, which will include a Q&A with translator Jo Heinrich. Additional links and information will be emailed to Club members in advance of the meeting i.e. these are usually links to related online articles, interviews, reviews, etc.
Review of the Peirene Press paperback edition (February 2022) translated by [a:Jo Heinrich|22035443|Jo Heinrich|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] from the German language original [b:Marzahn, mon amour: Geschichten einer Fußpflegerin|49947323|Marzahn, mon amour Geschichten einer Fußpflegerin|Katja Oskamp|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563784047l/49947323._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72234860] (2019)
Marzhan, Mon Amour is a series of short story portraits of various customers, primarily seniors, of a writer in her mid-life career change job as a podiatrist in the beauty salon situated in the Marzahn tower-block district of Berlin, which she shares with owner Tiffy and co-worker Flocke. The book seems to be marketed as fiction, but its premise is taken from author Katja Oskamp's own real-world experience in the same job. There are occasional interludes where you learn the background of the beauty salon workers themselves, such as:
Flocke signals for a third round of Aperol Spritzes, while I launch into an ode to Marzahn and its inhabitants, who moved there forty years ago, now bravely coming to the end of their lives, with their walking frames, their oxygen cylinders and their state pensions, sometimes spending whole days without speaking to another soul, pouring out their famished hearts to us when they come to the salon, gratefully absorbing every touch, happy for once not to be treated like imbeciles in the place that Tiffy, our dear little Tiffy, has built all on her own. Tiffy stares at me with her deep brown eyes welling up, then she loses the fight against her tears of emotion when I cry out, 'Our work is priceless! Our clients are the best! Marzahn, mon amour!'
'Oh God, the writer in her's coming out!' says Flocke, grinning.
'And so it must, honeybunch,' I say. 'Man shall not live by feet alone.' - excerpt from the chapter Work Outing in Marzahn, Mon Amour
The 15 or so customer vignettes are very sympathetic portrayals of people who are often living or have lived difficult lives, for which their foot-care problems become a metaphor. Along the way you also become quite wrapped up in appreciating the love and care that the salon workers have for their patients. Above all the book reads as a testament to perseverance and the acceptance of change.
I was happy to have this introduction to Katja Oskamp's writing in this first English translation of her work. The author has three other books to her credit in GR's bibliography.
I read Marzhan, mon amour in advance of its official publication date in February 2022 due to my annual subscription to Peirene Press. Subscribers receive the publisher's books several weeks ahead of their official release date. Marzhan, mon amour is the first of Peirene's 3-book publication plan for 2022.
Trivia and Links
Peirene Press will likely have an online book launch in the next several weeks for Marzahn, mon amour and you can watch for it at their events page here.
Marzahn, Mon Amour is the planned group read for the March 17, 2022 meeting of the Borderless Book Club, which will include a Q&A with translator Jo Heinrich. Additional links and information will be emailed to Club members in advance of the meeting i.e. these are usually links to related online articles, interviews, reviews, etc.