Almost Everything Very Fast

Kloeble’s U.S. debut is a disturbing, ultimately moving novel about a young man trying to discover who his mother is, with flashbacks to men and women directly or indirectly contributing to his heritage. At 19, Albert Driajes leaves Saint Helena orphanage in Bavaria, where he has grown up under the rigorous supervision of Sister Alfonsa. Albert returns to Königsdorf to be with the only parent he has ever known, Fred Driajes, whose mental impairment contrasts sharply with Albert’s intellect. Fred expresses joy by saying ambrosial and conveys his awareness he is dying by holding up five fingers, the number of months he has left to live. While looking after Fred, Albert uncovers little he understands about the past, until Sister Alfonsa draws him back to Saint Helena promising she will at last reveal all. Narratives from Albert’s perspective, Fred’s, and a mysterious, unrepentant 80-year-old confined to a nursing home include stories of rape, incest, murder, arson, bullying, and betrayal dating back to pre-World War I Germany, converging in a Bavarian town where villagers follow a 400-year-old tradition of renouncing their most beloved possession. Abandonment is one of several themes Kloeble interweaves into this exploration of the nature of family and community, connection and disconnection. Ominous imagery (the skull from a breeding experiment, Hansel and Gretel’s trail of crumbs) and the mix of unbelievable reality with credible lies compel readers to work alongside Albert to unravel the truth. Kloeble’s cinematic vision and vivid storytelling encompass a range of human emotion and iniquity. (Feb.)