4 Stars
Bernhard Schlink is best known for his 1997 novel The Reader, but I’ve enjoyed other of his books and so picked up The Granddaughter, his most recent offering.
Seventy-one-year-old Kaspar Wettner is a bookseller in Berlin grieving the death of his wife Birgit. When going through her papers, he discovers she had left behind a baby in East Berlin when she fled to West Germany. He decides to search for his stepdaughter Svenja and eventually finds her living in a rural community of Völkisch people – far-right, white supremacist nationalists. Svenja and her husband Björn have a daughter, 14-year-old Sigrun, who is an enthusiastic believer in far-right ideology. Kaspar manipulates her parents into allowing Sigrun to spend time with him, time he hopes he can use to broaden Sigrun’s worldview.
Kaspar is the grandfather most people would like to have. He is patient and tolerant. When he learns about Brigit’s daughter, he is determined to find her, and when he meets Sigrun, he is determined to establish a relationship with her. Liberal and progressive in his views, he finds Sigrun’s anti-Semitic, xenophobic, Holocaust denying comments offensive, but he admires her curiosity, strength, and loyalty. A cultured man, he takes her to concerts and introduces her to books she would not encounter in her insular world. When he discovers she has a talent for the piano, he pays for lessons. He takes her on a trip to broaden her horizons.
Of course, Kaspar has to tread carefully as he tries to correct Sigrun’s understanding of German history. Her parents certainly fear Kaspar’s influence because they insist on strict rules while she visits Kaspar: for example, she cannot wear jeans, use the internet, or go to the cinema. He doesn’t want to alienate them because they might deny him visitations. He is also afraid to contradict Sigrun too forcefully for fear that she herself might choose to end their relationship. This leaves him wondering if/how he can challenge her radical opinions.
It is not just Sigrun’s views which are challenged. Kaspar is forced to confront his prejudices. For instance, Sigrun draws attention to his attitude of superiority. He does not agree with how Sigrun has been parented, but he comes to understand the reasons for Svenja and Björn’s decisions regarding their daughter. Kaspar also has to acknowledge the complexities of German reunification which has not solved all the problems. Even Kaspar’s understanding of Birgit increases.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it. Readers who do not like ambiguous endings may not be satisfied by the novel’s partial resolution, but given the book’s subject matter, the ending is appropriate. Though the focus is political radicalization in Germany, I found the book timely: it made me consider the political radicalization so obvious in the U.S., especially following the most recent presidential election.