Scribner pre-empts The Berlin Shadow by Jonathan Lichtenstein

A formally audacious and deeply moving memoir in three timeframes, Jonathan Lichtenstein’s The Berlin Shadow tells the story of his father’s escape as an unaccompanied child refugee from Berlin to Britain in 1939; the author’s youth in rural Wales; and the contemporary journey that unites father and son as they travel to present-day Berlin to confront the event that has dominated both their lives. It is also a timely celebration of the Kindertransport, an organised act of altruism that – against considerable domestic opposition – saved the lives of 10,000 children. Jonathan Lichtenstein is an award-winning playwright whose stage plays have been performed around the world.

Scribner Editorial Director Rowan Cope acquired UK & Commonwealth rights from Jonathan Conway at Jonathan Conway Literary Agency in a pre-empt, for hardback publication in early 2019.

Rowan Cope says: ‘The Berlin Shadow is an incredibly sensitive yet unsentimental personal memoir about trauma passed down through generations. Almost all of Hans Lichtenstein’s family died in Nazi Germany, and his son Jonathan writes a profoundly affecting tribute to his father and to loss, endurance, struggle and forgiveness. I believe The Berlin Shadow will resonate with readers who were captivated by The Hare with Amber Eyes, Dadland or East West Street. We are very proud to welcome Jonathan to the Scribner list and to publish this remarkable book around the eightieth anniversary of the Kindertransport.’