Glorious People

Reviews / Votes

Deftly translated by Imogen Taylor, the book is an astute, deeply empathetic portrayal of the dislocation of first-generation immigrants and intergenerational trauma * Financial Times * Glorious People is hypnotic, sweeping, and more relevant than ever. The mothers and daughters of Glorious People will stick with you long after you turn the last page of this mesmerizing, sharp, and devastating novel. They are searching for meaning and belonging as immigrants, mothers, wives, professionals, and citizens of a complex and ever-changing world. This novel offers a fresh take on the Soviet diaspora that offers both a meaningful critique and a semblance of much-needed hope for the future -- Maria Kuznetsova, author of Something Unbelievable This novel, elegantly translated by Imogen Taylor, takes on themes of memory, migration, language and identity in a narrative partly inspired by Salzmann's own experiences. Historical ruptures, gendered traumas and the difficulty of talking across generations all swirl around this thoughtful novel * The Berliner * An in-depth study of friendship and family relations across two generations. . . truly a book of our times * The Jewish Chronicle * A fascinating account of the collapse of the Soviet Union and its fallout over several generations of one extended Ukrainian family and their friends * Marie Claire, Best Books 2024 * This is a novel about mothers and daughters - from the 1970s to the near present - and stretching from the corrupt hospitals and semi-legal whisky stores of small-town Ukraine to the queer scene in Berlin . . . a capacious novel . . . certainly not short on vibrancy and humour' * TLS * 'A story of several generations of women that poignantly demonstrates the imprint of history on people's lives, often with tragic consequences. Salzmann conveys the emotional turmoil and agonizing choices their characters make with exquisite nuance and sensitivity. Their distinctive voice, elegant prose and engaging narrative result in a marvelous work' -- Victoria Belim, author of The Rooster House In an unflinching examination of mother-daughter ties, Salzmann recreates the lost and newly found world, populating it with powerfully drawn, unforgettable characters. Masterful and haunting -- Elena Gorokhova, author of A Train to Moscow Not only a sobering portrait of the late Soviet era, but also a remarkable family novel that draws on the experiences of loss made by strong female characters . . . An award-worthy book * SWR2 * The book covers decades, but the sparky, succinct style means it never feels rushed * Guardian, The Best New Translated Fiction Review Roundup * A brilliant book . . . [that] vibrates with the pleasure of narrating * Neue Zuercher Zeitung * Convincing in its intense and richly pictorial language, offers a different version of the narrative, a perspective beyond cliches and what has been read hundreds of times before * neues deutschland * Rarely has there been such a comprehensive and personal vivid description of how the end of the USSR continues to affect people to this day * der Freitag * [Salzmann] writes in a broad, timelessly epic style. There is a quiet sovereignty here that gives one great hope that we are reading one of the next great German storytellers * Sueddeutsche Zeitung * The sensually concrete language, which does justice to the abundance of impressions and feelings at all times, is worthy of praise. Unconventional, allegorically charged images recur and make an impression * Der Tagesspiegel * An exciting look beyond our borders towards the East and back, by an award-winning author * Brigitte Woman * Glorious People [is] impressive sensitive and unsparing * Juedische Allgemeine Zeitung * The translation by Imogen Taylor is never less than beautiful, perfectly conveying the joys and the deep melancholy that seep through the dark soil of the Soviet empire and its people * European Literature Network *