The plot of this book takes place in my old homeland Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in the sixties, when my mother was at the same young age as the main characters in the book. Furthermore, my mother knew the author Fritz Tanck personally: He was her math teacher!

Also, I recognized my home town Neubrandenburg at page 142 et seq. even though its name was not mentioned.

To me, it was a stimulating journey through the socialist mindset of the early German Democratic Republic. After graduation, young people had to make completely different decisions regarding their future than I had to make for instance. On the other hand, some things are the same everywhere, regardless of the political system. I really enjoyed Tanck's quiet but detailed narration of the love story.