Begierde : Ein Berliner Roman

In a sun‑dappled tea room of a modest Berlin pension, an American visitor named Miss Webb settles into a plush armchair, cigarette glowing between her fingers. Her lively observations about German women—fashionable, career‑driven, yet still tied to the idea of motherhood—spark a spirited exchange with the locals, especially the sharp‑tongued Lotte Wunsch. Their conversation drifts from stereotypes about housewives to the paradox of wanting children without marriage, revealing the complexities of a society in transition.

Through witty dialogue and vivid snapshots of daily life, the novel paints Berlin in the early twentieth century as a crossroads of tradition and modernity. It follows a handful of women—students, artists, and pension residents—who navigate love, ambition, and the pressure to define their own roles. Their hopes and doubts echo far beyond the teacups, inviting listeners to contemplate how cultural expectations shape personal desire.