The Vanishing of Katharina Linden ~Helen Grant
–U.S. publication, 2010
–Delacorte Press
–281 pages
–shortlisted for the 2010 Carnegie Medal
It wasn’t pure coincidence that found me reading Helen Grant’s debut novel, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, so closely on the heels of my re-read of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, winner of that same award. I had been aching to read this book ever since the cover caught my eye last month and had only been waiting for the season to turn towards autumn to begin reading it. However, seeing that it was among those contending for the medal against The Graveyard Book peaked my curiosity enough to go ahead and get tucked right in. Helen Grant’s novel, published in the UK back in 2009, found its way onto U.S. bookstore shelves, with a dust jacket covered with effusive praise by authors like John Connolly and Keith Donahue as well as the more well known British newspapers and an eye-catching cover illustration. I am happy to report that The Vanishing of Katharina Linden lives up to its critical acclaim and its fabulous cover.
Pia Kolvenbach is a ten year old girl living in the small German town of Bad Munstereifel, whose life seems quite average until a freak accident leaves her grandmother dead and turns Pia into the talk of the town. Pia’s misery mounts until the day that a local girl her age disappears, seemingly out from under the very noses of the townspeople. When the young girl, Katharina Linden, fails to turn up, tensions mount and life for Pia seems worse than it ever was before. Pia, and her young friend Stefan, begin to suspect that there are more sinister goings on than can be simply explained away, and with the encouragement of one of Bad Munstereifel’s elder statesmen, a repository of incredible local stories and legends, they set out to see if they can discover the mystery of Katharina’s vanishing.
I am always impressed when I see the words “debut novel” and find myself reading something that is crafted with great skill and affection. Such is the case with The Vanishing of Katharina Linden. The story is set in relatively modern times yet its setting in a small, provincial German town gives the story an old world quality that added a layer of suspense to the story. Throughout the novel I found it easy to forget the time period, feeling as if I was reading something set in an earlier age, and that timeless quality enhanced the sinister mood of the novel. Being a mystery, the reader is meant to be kept off balance, meant to be kept guessing as to whodunit and why. Grant’s ability to lull the reader into a feeling of timelessness only to reorient them with a small detail of modernity serves to heighten that sense of imbalance. On several occasions during my reading of the novel I was struck by how much I enjoyed that.
Like The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley, The Vanishing of Katharina Linden can very well be considered a young adult novel and yet I found both of these books shelved in the adult mystery section of Barnes and Noble. Many adults enjoy a well-written young adult novel and I find it interesting to see these books more strongly targeted at an adult audience, particularly since I believe that both novels are appropriate and would be interesting for children of a certain age but have so very much more to offer the adult reader. Unlike Flavia de Luce, Pia Kolvenbach is not a precocious, brilliant-beyond-her-years protagonist (And I don’t mean that as a criticism, I am quite smitten with Flavia). Instead she is every bit the normal ten year old girl, with perhaps a bit of bravado born out of tragedy. As a narrator she is engaging without being over the top. Pia feels like the genuine article. Her thoughts and actions very strongly resemble what one would expect of a girl of ten.
Woven within the novel are a series of local folk tales told to Pia and Stephan by one of the town’s aged members. In the early part of the new millennium, Helen Grant lived in the actual town of Bad Munstereifel. It was there that she learned many of the town’s legends and it is these legends that she incorporates into her novel. Modeling her fictional town after its real-life namesake, and incorporating ages-old local folklore, gives The Vanishing of Katharina Linden a perceptible historical aura. I found myself swept up in the mood of the novel, which made its slow building suspense an exquisite experience. So much so that when the novel began moving more rapidly towards its climax, after a particularly terrifying event, I told my wife, heart racing, that I didn’t want to watch television tonight because I simply had to finish this story.
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden was a reading experience that left me with just the right amount of satisfaction while still feeling a bit unsettled. After all, it touches on a dark topics, yet does so without resorting to unnecessarily sordid details. Helen Grant’s novel is described as a “strange, haunting modern fairy tale” by author John Connolly and I would tend to agree. With its folk tale elements the story is imbued with a sense of magic and the supernatural and that adds something to the richness of the tale being told. I love the novel’s texture. Since the story takes place in Germany, Pia, Stefan and the others are presumably speaking German. However one gets an early impression that a much older Pia is now relating this story in English. This storytelling device, masterfully woven into the fabric of the novel, allows for the reader to be exposed to a number of German words and phrases. There is a handy glossary at the back of the book should you choose to know the exact interpretation of the word or phrase, and yet Grant works these in so well that it is often easy to get the gist of what is being said even without availing one self of the glossary.
I am highly impressed with Helen Grant’s debut work and cannot help but feel tempted to procure a copy of her next book, The Glass Demon, from the UK where it is already available, as it unfortunately will not find its way to our shores until sometime in 2011. If you are in the mood for an engaging, somewhat haunting mystery viewed from the vulnerable, naive, yet intelligent viewpoint of a young, likeable female protagonist, I cannot urge you strongly enough to go spend some time with Pia Kolvenbach.
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This book is a R.I.P. V Challenge Selection
I am so glad you enjoyed this! I found in my local bookstore in Belgium as Helen Grant is a local author and really loved it. I liked Pia and I liked the folklore in the book and I found the storyline engaging. I didn’t know she had a new one out, I’ll have to get that right away!
OMG – I remember seeing The Glass Demon for sale. I picked it up and looked at it and put it down as I didn’t recognise the author, yet The Vanishing of Katharina Linden has been on my list forever. Thanks for bringing this author back to my attention.
This one sounds great and is now on my wish list. Great review Carl.
Wow Carl! I already had my eye on this book just because of the cover alone. Your review has completely grabbed my attention, and I now want to read this book…Now!!
What are your thoughts about children (my girls… 15, 13) reading this book? Do you think appropriate or not? It sounds like it would be just fine, but I hesitate because of where the book is shelved in the stores. I am thinking the publishers are most definitely marketing the book for adults. Then again, the same thing is true for The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, as you mentioned. And I am starting to read aloud that book to the girls.
Not to add to add to your list of books to purchase but have you ever tried Bookdepository? That is an excellent place to purchase books available in the UK, and the shipping is free!!!
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780141325767/The-Glass-Demon
Make sure your browser stays with the .co.uk if it switches to the .com then manually change it back. It works. This past summer I purchased a book for my 11 year old because we liked the UK cover better. Just thought I’d mention this to you.
This book sounds amazing – thanks for the great review. The cover alone would make me at least pick it up, but it’s nice to know that the interior is just as good. The addition of folk tales is a strong pull for me, and it’s really neat that the author lived in the town herself. I’ll definitely be checking this out.
Sarah: I was certainly relieved that it lived up to the cover image that sucked me in to purchasing it on a whim. I like stories built on or around myths, folk tales, local legends. It is one of the reasons why so much of Neil Gaiman’s work is attractive to me, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy series as well. The stories told here within the main novel were completely unfamiliar to me and as such were even more interesting. It sounds like her next book was also inspired by a story she heard.
Ibeeg: Thanks for the Book Depository link. I hadn’t heard of it, or at least cannot recall having done so although I’m sure many of you bloggers have mentioned it. The book is out of stock but I love that you can have them notify you via email once it is back in stock. As far as your children, there is obviously a child abduction angle that never even hints at anything sexual but is disturbing just because of what it is and I’m not sure how much that might or might not bother them. It probably bothers parents more than kids. There are a few curse words, mostly in German, and that is about it. Really the subject matter is probably why it found its way to adult shelves here in the U.S. Sweetness is a bit more tame by comparison.
Bibliophile: Thanks!
Vivienne: It is funny because the cover, although not bad, and the story title both would not have caused me to want to read The Glass Demon, nor its description really, but now that I know what the author is capable of I am interested in checking it out.
Joanna: How cool, I’m glad you enjoyed it. On her site it looks like she is working on her third novel which is set in Germany as well.
This sounds like a perfect R.I.P. read, and I will check the library on my next visit (which if all goes well, will be today). It is especially nice to find a new author and know that there is another book immediately available, as well as one in the works!
Jenclair: I know exactly what you mean. I think we all experience that same agony when we discover someone we like and then get through all of their existing material and have to sit around waiting for something new.
Child abduction probably is why is hit the adult shelves. still, that is nothing the girls have not been exposed to. A quick flash through the news channels will hit you with all sorts of fun stuff. Have you read The Lovely Bones? Dang, that is one book that hits you in the gut after the first chapter and it is marketed towards the YA crowd. So, the topic matter would not be a problem especially if I read it as well, know how it is dealt with so that the girls and I can talk.
This book is certainly going on my list. Now.
By the way: be careful with bookdepository…they can suck you in. 😀 Although, I still remain a frequent amazon patron.
Ibeeg: It is easy to get sucked in with ANY place that sells books, LOL! Although you are right, I’ve already looked up several titles on Book Depository and I am loving their prices. With your experience, do the books generally arrive in new condition? One of my peeves with Amazon is the frequency with which I have to send books back for a replacement because they are damaged when they arrive.
I haven’t read Lovely Bones and am not sure I will, though I really do want to see the film.
Never heard of this book before, but it sounds rather good. I will have to add it to my TBR list.
Kailana: It is worth adding to your list. I wouldn’t have heard of it either had I not just found it wandering around Barnes and Noble.
Oh, I love the cover art! I would read it just for that, but of course your glowing recommendation is a further inducement. 🙂
I have never had any issues with the books that I have received from bookdepository. Although, it does take a bit longer to arrive at my home which I am okay with. With amazon, I have not had any issues with them either, and they arrive at my home within a couple of days, sometimes the next day.
I was turned onto bookdepository from my Australian blogging friends. The service there is good from my experience. I wish your pocketbook well. 😉
The prices I think tend to always beat B&N even when they have coupons. I know some people have issues with purchasing books from places like Amazon. For me, I have not really figured out why there is an issue so I go with prices.
The Lovely Bones: I have not heard real good things about the movie. Although, that has been from others who read the book first. For me, I have no interest in the movie. Frankly, I don’t think I can “watch” the storyline…reading it was bad enough at times. The story was good, I did like it, but was incredibly shocked that my then 13-year old read it before me.
Side note: The Lovely Bones stars Mark Wahlberg who is an actor I really like. Have I mentioned the movie Rock Star to you before? If not, considered it mentioned. If so, have you watched it? I really liked the movie.
Ibeeg: You are very blessed then with your Amazon supplier. That used to be the case with me. For years I ordered from Amazon with no problems. Over the last couple of years, however, it is not an exaggeration that I’ve had to send back at least half of the purchases shipped to my house because the book was thrown in an oversize box with little or no packing material and the book arrives having been beaten around during the shipping journey. It is aggravating despite the fact that it doesn’t cost to ship it back. I generally only use BN when I have coupons to pair with my membership or when books are discounted. And occasionally when I just have that irresistible book buying urge.
I want to watch the film because of my man-crush on Peter Jackson. I know enough of the story to know that I am not going to “enjoy” it, but I would like to see what he has done from a film making standpoint.
Rock Star is fun. I’m a fan of Markie Mark and generally enjoy his movies.
Jenny: Isn’t the cover great! I just had to take it home when I saw it.
Of course “debut novel” only means first published, she may have written a dozen others that were rejected for a variety of reasons. Nice review, Carl.
No announcements yet but read between the lines: I’m packing some books.
[note: this will be the third time I’ve tried to post this, the first two I got a server down at your end message…
Success! Oh good, now it says I’m posting too quickly. It told me to “slow down”. My answer to that is a string of expletives.
Re: Amazon, I signed up for Amazon Prime, which gives me free two-day shipping on everything I buy. My shipping costs have long since exceeded the $79 cost of Prime, so I’m getting free shipping and two day at that. I have had a few books come slightly damaged, but not enough to bother about. The one time I was bothered, the replacement came before I’d even sent the old one back.
Richard: It must just be the Kansas City distributor, as I’m not the only one in this area who has consistent problems with their shipping. It is always so obvious why the book was damaged to. You get a single hardback book packed in a box three times as long and twice as wide with one or two of those air bags thrown on top of it and it is no wonder it doesn’t arrive in good condition.
Hey, you just don’t know your own typing speed!!!
Too true about ‘debut’. And reading her site I see that she has written a number of short stories. Still, I’ve read several books from often published authors that don’t stand up as well as many ‘debut’ novels that I’ve read.
So, reading between the lines makes me think that you guys found a place and have decided to move! All the Portland talk on your site today….does that mean Portland is the destination? 🙂
Oh my gosh Carl, this one sounds so good! I just read a debut novel that had blurbs by John Connelly and Keith Donohue on it(Of Bees and Mist) and really enjoyed it.
Carl – When you wrote Peter Jackson and man-crush, I immediately thought that Jackson must have something to do with The Lord of the Rings movies, so I googled, and I was right. I always love it when my mind functions well. 😉
Richard – I too have signed up for Amazon Prime and have purchased more in way of shipping costs than the $79 fee. Also, the shipping is super fast.
Sorry Carl that you have had poor luck with Amazon’s shipping. That really stinks. I do believe you will have better luck with bookdepository…at least I hope so.
It seems that everyone is mesmerized by cover of The Vanishing of Katharina Linden. I know that I most certainly was when I saw it in the store, but I resisted the purchase now I wish I had not. I am going to see if my library has it.
i was intrigued before, by the great cover and seeing it on so many challenge reading lists. your fabulous write-up has me wanting to forgo the library read and purchase the book outright (which for my very stingy self, is saying something)
~L
L: I for one always champion the library option. Then again I didn’t listen to myself when I was tempted and just went ahead and bought the thing. 🙂
Ibeeg: That back cover of the book is fantastic as well. It is like a negative image of the front cover with all these great quotes recommending the book in wonderful fonts.
Well done on your detective work! I shouldn’t take it for granted that Peter Jackson is a household name just because I am a LOTR film geek.
As for Amazon, I never pay shipping. I don’t buy anything unless I have enough to hit the $25 mark to get free shipping. Perhaps they give more care to the packages of those who actually join the Prime program. You get what you pay for, after all.
Stephanie: I saw that book on the web recently and thought it looked good.
My orders, because of Amazon Prime, all come UPS. No more over-sized boxes, that would add to their cost – with 2 day shipping. My experience with the free (over $25) was that it could take a month to get some or all of the books.
But damn, I had this book out from the library and ended up returning it unread.
Going to have to get it out again now!
Darren: I’ve been there before, many a time. 🙂
Richard: I rarely had to wait too long for the free shipping. Always a few weeks, for sure. But they certainly weren’t doing anything like UPS, they were obviously just grabbing the most handy box to throw the book into.
This sounds very, very good. I just looked up Bad Münstereifel, I thought it would be quite close to the Swiss border but it is rather towards the North of Germany. There are so many little towns in Germany that provide a marvelous setting for stories like this. The author must have visited.
Apart from that, it sounds like a great story.
I just realised you mentioned that she lived there.
Caroline: Ah, I see you figured it out. I don’t believe she lives there any more, but she did for a number of years. Personally I think the fact that the story is set in a real place and, additionally, has elements of long-told local legends, gives the book that extra something special.
Oh Carl, what an incredible review!!! I wouldn’t have thought it possible for this book to live up to its cover, and yet it sounds as if it really, truly does! Honestly, I can’t tell you how very badly I want this book now…
Now it can be told: on my blog, I’m moving to Portland from southern California. It will be about a month and a half, but there are a lot of books to pack. Then at the other end, there will be a lot of bookshelves needed since what I have here are all built-in.
Any good suggestions for nice, classy but not break-the-bank bookshelves? I need wood, not fiberboard, metal or plastic. And I need a lot. I was thinking of finding a carpenter/cabinet maker to build them, but I’m afraid it’s going to be really expensive and buying a house has so many other expenses that I’ll be a little cash short for a while.
Richard: As I said over there, I wish you a hearty congratulations. I’m very excited for you. The pictures of your new home and its beautiful view assure me that you and your wife will be very happy there.
From my own personal experience, building bookshelves has been much cheaper then buying them, unless you want to go with the very cheap slap together versions you can buy at stores like Walmart and Target, and I imagine that is not what you want. However, these are less expensive for me because my father helps me build them. I would probably opt for at least having a carpenter or handyman give me an estimate on what it would cost. It is possible you could design the look yourself and buy your own wood and see if there is just a local retired or semi-retired guy who can do this kind of work who wouldn’t charge an arm and a leg. I’d look into the local paper and on places like Craigslist to see if there is anyone like that in your area.
You could also look to see if there are any furniture stores closing out in the area who might have really good deals on quality bookshelves. As many books as you have, though, I still think building what you want and need will ultimately be more satisfying as they will be a much better quality.
Debi: I have no doubt that you would enjoy this one. I just finished reading the next book in the Flavia de Luce series, The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag, and that review will be up soon. I cannot remember if you’ve read Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, but I suspect you would love these books like I do.
I saw this in a book shop about 6 months ago and thought it looked really good but I didn’t pick it up. I’m now thinking I should have done. Thanks for the review 🙂
Book Whisperer: Although I would highly recommend reading it, at least you can take comfort in the fact that you resisted temptation that one day! 🙂 Something we all try, and often fail, to do when we are in bookstores. LOL!
I’ve already got my eye on this and it’s sitting on my wishlist. Great review, makes me want to read it soon. I also really enjoyed The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie too.
Sakura: This is another one for a gloomy day. This actually wouldn’t be a bad winter read either since part of it takes place when it is cold and wintery.
I’d certainly pick this up for the cover, but it sounds good too. I’ve got such a pile of books stacked up for the challenge that maybe I won’t try to include it for this one, but that may depend on whether I can bear not to read it now.
GeraniumCat: I know the feeling. I think we all do! I spent part of my weekend coming to the realization that there are books that I just won’t get to, AGAIN, for this year’s challenge. This one would be a fun one to read in the dead of winter as well as the weather is decidedly cold, at least near the end of the story.
Oops! Just bought her second book on Kindle. Will be reviewing that for RIPV. And no doubt buying the first book after that. Carl, you are very bad for my bank balance!
I admit, this book caught my eye mostly because the cover is gorgeous. (My love for cats borders on scary.) I read the synopsis on B&N.com though and the book actually sounds pretty interesting. I added it to my Wish List.
I’ve just added this book to my To-Buy pile! It looks very interesting, thanks for posting about it!