Gretel and the Great War

Sachs (The Organs of Sense) lends a touch of the fantastical to Viennese life at the end of WWI in this inventive novel in stories. In a framing device, a mute young woman is being treated by a neurologist, who receives a letter from a sanatorium patient who claims to be the woman’s father and who insists her name is Gretel. He proceeds to mail 26 “bedtime stories,” alphabetically arranged, to be shared with Gretel. Starting with “A: The Architect” and ending with “Z: The Zionist,” these interlacing fables feature reappearing locations and characters, and evoke Vienna’s artistic milieu of choirs, painters, composers, and stage performers, as well as the city’s abundance of sanatorium residents and scientists. Stories of broken families, the gap between the haves and the have-nots, and revenge abound. Feathered within each tale are short segments devoted to reminding Gretel of her mother’s all-consuming commitment to her musical ambitions, which played a role in their separation. “N: The Neurologist,” hints at Gretel’s ailment with the story of a naturalist so obsessed with creating a lifelike taxidermied heron that he steals his daughter’s voice. Throughout, Sachs keenly captures the pulse of a city on the cusp of immense change. This spirited volume lingers long after the final page. Agent: Amelia Atlas, CAA. (June)