In this compelling memoir of growing up different, Ijoma Mangold,
today one of Germany's best literary critics, remembers his youth
in 1970s Heidelberg and the new Federal Republic, and momentous
visits in early adulthood to the USA and Nigeria. His own story is
inextricably linked with that of his mother, a German from the
eastern province of Silesia, forced to escape as a refugee in the
expulsions from 1944, and to start afresh in utter poverty in West
Germany. His Nigerian father came to Germany to train in pediatric
surgery but returned before Ijoma was old enough to remember him.
His reappearance on the scene forces a crash collision with an
unknown culture, one he grew up suspicious of, and a new complex
family history to come to terms with. Mangold explores many
existential questions in this lively narrative; How does a boy cope
with an absent father? What was it like to grow up 'bi-racial' in
the Federal Republic? Was he an opportunist, a master adaptor who
had over-assimilated? What is the relationship between race and
class? And what is more unusual in Germany: having dark skin or a
passion for Thomas Mann and Richard Wagner? Ijoma shares his story
with its dramatic twists and turns, not forgetting the surprises he
uncovers about himself along the way.
General
Imprint: |
Das Editions
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
September 2021 |
Authors: |
Ijoma Mangold
|
Translators: |
Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp
|
Dimensions: |
198 x 129mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
336 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-83822-150-8 |
Subtitles: |
German
|
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-83822-150-6 |
Barcode: |
9781838221508 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!