»One of the most terribly beautiful love stories right now.«
– NDR Buch des Monats
»Once again, Ruth-Maria Thomas reaches emotional depths with the astonishing lightness of her prose, which appears insouciant, as she explores how possible – or impossible – it can be to share a life as equals [...] Her second novel, which lives up to its high expectations, also tells of such pain.«
– Janina Fleischer, Leipziger Volkszeitung
»It’s a novel, which draws you in with wild intensity, right up to its spectacular ending.«
– Jolinde Hüchtker, DIE ZEIT
»Ruth-Maria Thomas has found her voice and her themes. She sensitively renders power dynamics and imbalances in relationships tangible […] It’s one of the mostly achingly beautiful love stories you can read right now.«
– Corinne Orlowski, rbb radio 3
»›The Second Greatest Love‹ captivates you with its compelling dialogues and is told with absolute psychological precision […] Ruth-Maria Thomas does not only avoid clichés in her novel, but also thoughtfully raises the question of how selfless we actually are when it comes to love.«
– MDR
»Relationships as the one between Henry and Michelle – that is, relationships based on economic inequalities – are very common in real life. However, the underlying thoughts, hopes and emotions have never been explored as precisely as in this novel.«
– Marie-Luise Goldmann, WELT
»›The Second Greatest Love‹ […] is a brilliant story of love across social differences […] The novel is most brilliant where it redistributes shame.«
– Mariya Martiyenko, FAZ/FAS
»Ruth-Maria Thomas has a great sense for dialogue and interpersonal tension. Her characters are lively and realistic, and she creates powerful scenes […] Ruth-Maria Thomas succeeds in painting a precise portrait of two people who’re in love with each other – but whose relationship fails due to completely different notions of security.«
– Theresa Hübner, SWR Kultur
“He needed her to make it sparkle. And she needed him to be able to sparkle undisturbed.”
Michelle and Henry fall in love despite their differences. Social divisions separate them—some are easy to overcome, but others can be insurmountable.
Michelle is in her early thirties when her life in the east of the country falls apart. She gets on her Vespa, leaves everything behind, and starts over. As a hotel receptionist, she encounters luxury, West German wealth, and – Henry. Someone who had a completely different start in life than she did, who never lacked anything. They fall in love, despite all their differences. For the first time, a carefree life seems possible for Michelle – but at what cost?
A novel that tackles the two great narratives of our time: the idea that everyone is the architect of their own fortune, and the widespread experience of being at the mercy of circumstance.
- A modern love story that shows how big and how small the divides in our society can be
- The author’s debut novel was on the SPIEGEL bestseller list for several weeks, longlisted for the German Book Prize and has been sold into five languages so far
- For readers of Coco Mellors, Emma Cline and David Szalay