Until Madness, Until Death

The frontlines of World War II burrow deep into the world of women and children, generating violence, fear and resistance in Kirsten Thorup’s new bestseller. 
It is the autumn of 1942. Leaving her two young sons behind in a child care home, a young Danish woman named Harriet is on her way to Munich. Her husband Gerhard was a German soldier, who was shot down over the Eastern Front. Wracked by grief, Harriet makes for Munich in search of answers. She finds accommodation with Gerhard’s German colleague, Klaus, part of the Nazi elite, and his Danish wife Gudrun. The sherry flows freely, but soon cracks begin to show in the veneer of friendship, revealing a gruesome truth. Until Madness, Until Death is a novel about a woman determined to be loyal to her husband at any cost, whilst insisting on being neutral towards Nazism. 

About the author 

Kirsten Thorup (born 1942) is one of Denmark’s greatest living authors. Her books have been translated into 11 languages, and in 2017 she was awarded the Nordic Council Literature Prize for Erindring om Kærligheden [Recollection of Love] (2016). Until Madness, Until Death has remained on the bestseller lists since its publication in Denmark in March.

Text translated by Denise Rose Hansen