Kriegsbüchlein für unsere Kinder

In this gently narrated memoir, a mother recounts a summer spent with her two young children in a remote Austrian mountain village just before the outbreak of the Great War. The family—still recovering from a bout of scarlet fever—finds solace on the sunny terrace of a modest farm house, watching rain turn to clear skies and planning a day‑long trek to the Venediger Pass. Their walk through fragrant alpine meadows, the climb past steep ridges, and the night spent in a solitary shepherd’s hut capture the simple pleasures of a world that seems untouched by conflict.

The narrative balances the intimate details of daily life—letters arriving only twice a week, the careful packing of trunks, the mother’s reassuring voice—with the quiet tension of a continent on the brink. As the children gaze at the glittering snowfields and breathe the crisp mountain air, the looming shadow of war begins to flicker at the edges of their idyllic retreat, promising to test the family’s resilience and reshape their future.