Kirjahaku

For seven years, public servant Anthony Speed has commuted by bicycle to his inner-city office dreading the monotony and drudgery of his job. On an otherwise routine Monday morning, he sets out to do this one last time. The ride forward to his destination coincides with a journey back through his past, as the people and places he crosses paths with draw him into recollections of the great traumas of his life. Surviving tragedy, abuse and addiction hasn't built a resilience in Anthony, it has eaten through his defences and exposed a vulnerability that sees him at the edge. His survival has been reliant on hope, but when that too is gone, what is left for him?

Canadian backpacker Amber arrives in Berlin as the COVID-19 pandemic threatens the city's characteristic freedom. A backpacker funding her travels through part-time work in aged care, her plans to spend most of her time exploring the city are compromised by restrictions. Her greatest discoveries of Berlin come from a close bond she forms with Marta, a former professional figure skater who is now a resident of the nursing home where Amber is working. Marta's experiences, highlight the tumultuous history of the city. From childhood spent in the aftermath of World War II, to her escape from the East German regime across the Berlin Wall, and her return to a vibrant and prosperous West Berlin in the 1970s, she is symbolic of the city's ability to evolve and adapt.Through the parallels in the experiences of Amber and Marta, Berlin emerges as a living and breathing entity that has endured the worst of human history and emerged vastly stronger. The city's unique and magical qualities, which captivate both locals and tourists, are evident in the stories of these two women at opposite ends of life.

Paris is arguably the most alluring city in the world, yet it also gave rise to Paris Syndrome, a psychiatric condition afflicting people deeply affected when the city fails to meet their expectations. For all who love the wonders of Paris, there are others who remember it with disdain. Twenty-three-year-old Elliot Martin arrives in Paris to experience the city while hoping to build a relationship with John, his estranged uncle. When John was Elliot's age, he visited Paris for a short trip, escaping a life that was crumbling before him in Australia. He fell in love with the city and never left, writing a best-selling novel that saw him considered the hottest new property in world literature. Thirty-five years later, he has never rekindled that success. Like his uncle a generation earlier, Elliot's trip was seen by others as running away from his problems. He maintained he was running towards the solutions. Can he be the peacemaker that brings his extended family together? Will Paris give him the inspiration to get his own life back on track?The possibilities are endless in the City of Light.