Instructions for the Working Day

Joanna Campbell

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Neil Fischer is travelling to his father's former hometown of Marschwald in East Germany, which he has unexpectedly inherited. Neil is determined to restore the village - left to deteriorate for decades - to its former glory. But he is met with hostility, mistrust and underlying menace. As tensions rise and truths emerge, all signs point to danger.

Shortlisted for the Rubery Book Award 2024You go too far, my friend. You are near dangerous ground.' Neil Fischer is travelling to a village in East Germany - his father's former hometown of Marschwald, which he has unexpectedly inherited. Knowing it has been left to deteriorate for decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Neil is determined to restore the derelict village to its former glory, as his demanding late father would surely have wanted. But when he arrives, he is met with hostility, mistrust and underlying menace. His only friend in Marschwald is Silke, who is coming to terms with her traumatic experiences during the Cold War and has recently uncovered a shocking truth. As tensions rise, a series of surreal encounters force Neil to contend with his own troubled past - but in his present, all signs point to danger.