Group Portrait with Lady

A rich and unconventional novel by the Nobel Prize–winning German author, this book pieces together the life of Leni Pfeiffer through interviews, documents, and shifting perspectives. Set against the backdrop of twentieth-century Germany—from the Nazi era through the postwar economic boom—it builds a “group portrait” not only of one woman but of a society marked by conformity, compromise, and moral upheaval. With irony, compassion, and sharp social insight, the narrative examines love, resilience, and quiet resistance in the face of political and cultural pressures. Both intimate and panoramic, it offers a humane and subtly satirical exploration of modern German history and the individuals who endure it.