Maja Haderlap

Angel of Oblivion

Translated by Tess Lewis

 

This profoundly poetic memoir tells the story of a minority Slovenian community in southern Austria that had rebelled against Nazi occupation. Born more than a decade after World War II ended, Haderlap narrates the story, which is gorgeously interwoven with depictions of the natural environment. She recounts her earliest memories from the narrow perspective of a young child, and as she matures and gains new understanding, her narrative spirals back on itself, uncovering layer after layer of trauma experienced by her community at the hands of the Germans. This memoir has broad political implications sustained by compassionate depictions of individual suffering.