Mascha Unterlehberg: Wenn wir lächeln

In the organizer's words:

About the moment of recoil that changes everything

Jara stands on the old railroad bridge over the Ruhr and stares into the deep dark waters. Anto, who was just sitting next to her, has jumped into the river and never resurfaces. The only thing Jara can see from up here is the baseball bat they smashed a car window with that night and which now refuses to sink.
When Jara meets Anto for the first time, she may be the worst player on the soccer pitch, but she is still by far the bravest. The two become friends and it soon becomes clear that their sisterhood is above all else - they share lip gloss, cherry cola and violent fantasies. A new plan every evening, they have everything in view and everything under control. Until, little by little, their control slips away. And now the question remains: what to do with all the anger?

In her debut novel, Mascha Unterlehberg paints a captivating and powerful portrait of a tender friendship that has to assert itself against external pressure and the constant threat of violence - until it's time to fight back.

"Mascha Unterlehberg writes hard and soft, clear and shimmering. This novel quickens the pulse and leaves you breathless." RUTH-MARIA THOMAS