'Manages something only a few books achieve: it makes you happy' Munich Mercury 'A clear-eyed tonic in troubled times' Guardian On a beautiful spring day, a small village in Western Germany wakes up to an omen: Selma has dreamed of an okapi. Someone is about to die. But who? As the residents of the village begin acting strangely (despite protestations that they are not superstitious), Selma's granddaughter Luise looks on as the imminent threat brings long carried secrets to the surface. And when death comes, it comes in a way none of them could have predicted... A story about the absurdity of life and death, a bittersweet portrait of village life and the wider world that beckons beyond, What You Can See from Here is a story about the way loss and love shape not just a person, but a community. The international bestseller which sold over 600,000 copies in Germany
Mariana Leky Book order
Mariana Leky's writing is celebrated for its unique voice and the profound insights it offers into human relationships and the world around us. Her novels have achieved significant acclaim, resonating with readers and topping bestseller lists for extended periods. Leky crafts stories with a keen eye for detail and a masterful command of language, creating narratives that are both moving and thought-provoking. Her work is a beautiful exploration of life's subtle moments.







- 2021
- 2013
Gentlemen's tailor
- 170 pages
- 6 hours of reading
Katja’s fairy tale romance with her dentist comes to an abrupt end when she learns that he is having an affair. Just when it seems that things can’t get any worse, her husband is killed in a car accident. Filled with grief, Katja thinks she is going crazy, but then two mysterious men enter her life: Dr. Frederich Blank and Armin the fireman, whose uniform looks like it came from a costume shop. Armin cannot see Blank, who is recently deceased and has only returned to haunt the neighborhood in hope of visiting his wife one last time. Katja begins a relationship with Armin, which leads to serious consequences, just as holes begin appearing in Dr. Blank. When the doctor starts to fade away, Katja desperately applies bandages to patch his holes. In one moving scene, Blank visits his wife’s apartment and Katja, lifted up in the cherrypicker of Armin’s fire engine, watches the visit through the upper-floor window. But Katja quickly realizes that Blank’s wife cannot see him; she merely continues to kiss her new lover. Blank spends his remaining days easing Katja into her new role as a soon to be mother.