THE SEARCH
The Search
Maureen Myant
World English language rights: Alma
Dutch rights: Arena
World Spanish rights: Grijalbo
Turkish rights: Elips Kitap
All other rights available
'Myant’s spellbinding and historically accurate narrative demonstrates the futility of war, the true casualties of conflict and the grass roots struggles of all those caught up in the Nazi regime. Her skill lies in her ability to write utterly convincingly from an innocent child’s perspective, producing a tale that is simultaneously poignant and tragic, yet with the ever present optimism of youth, which never allows hope to die. Completely unputdownable.' - Time Out
Czechoslovakia, summer 1942. Ten year old Jan is sent to his room without any supper after an argument with his sister. Bored, he escapes through the window and goes walkabout in the dark. Down towards the village he sees a commotion and hears men speaking in a language he doesn't recognise. Confused, he approaches, keeping well out of sight. The events which he witnesses are to change his and his sisters' lives for ever.
Meanwhile, in rural Germany, farmer Friedrich and his wife Gisela are in mourning for the premature death of their daughter Helga. On top of this, they have had to send their son Willhelm away to war. They have been told that the new leader, Adolf Hitler, is a good man and is waging war against bad people for the good of Germany. However, as events transpire, privately they begin to wonder if this is indeed the case. Their worries about Willhelm and what is really happening to their country coupled with the loss of their daughter make for dark times, so they are delighted when they are asked to adopt an “orphan” from Hamburg. Although the little girl is at first extremely shy and speaks with a rather strange accent, Friedrich and Gisela take delight in her – until one day, a boy claiming to be her brother, who also knows Friedrich and Gisela's darkest secret, comes to try and take her away.
The Search explores the devastation of war on ordinary families, but it is also a coming of age novel and an exploration of the bond between parent and child. Maureen Myant has a fresh voice and wonderful turn of phrase which is arresting from the first page. With its small, focussed cast of characters and a narrative voice befitting their naivety, The Search is executed with beautiful simplicity and yet it says so much.
Maureen Myant is an educational psychologist based in Glasgow. In 2004 she was awarded a New Writers' Bursary by the Scottish Arts Council and she has completed a PHD in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow.
