In Times of Fading Light

An enthrallingly expansive family saga set against the backdrop of the collapse of East German communism, from a major new international voice

Over 450,000 copies sold in Germany alone • Rights sold in 20 countries • Winner of the German Book Prize • A First Fiction” pick

In Times of Fading Light

The novel then takes us both forward and back in time, creating a panoramic view of the family’s history: from Alexander’s grandparents’ return to the GDR to build the socialist state, to his father’s decade spent in a gulag for criticizing the Soviet regime, to his son’s desire to leave the political struggles of the twentieth century in the past.

With wisdom, humor, and great empathy, Eugen Ruge draws on his own family history as he masterfully brings to life the tragic intertwining of politics, love, and family under the East German regime.