First published 2018
Young Bettina pours her heart onto paper, writing letter after letter to the great Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Her words tumble with childlike wonder and fierce devotion as she shares her thoughts about literature, nature, and life itself. Goethe responds with paternal warmth, guiding her restless spirit through philosophical questions and artistic dreams. Their correspondence becomes a dance between innocence and wisdom, youth and experience. Bettina struggles to bridge the gap between her passionate inner world and the formal constraints of their unequal relationship. She yearns for recognition not just as an admirer but as a kindred spirit worthy of the master's attention. The letters reveal her transformation from an eager child into a young woman grappling with her own creative voice, all while maintaining her deep reverence for Goethe's genius.
Genres: biography, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: epistolary, mentor-mentee, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Germany
Period: 19th-Century
342 pages · Paperback · Sagwan Press