From the Umberplatzen

by Susan Tepper

Kitty is in her late thirties when she leaves her unhappy marriage and American homeland behind to settle abroad in Germany where she stays for a period of two years. Here she meets the brilliantly eccentric German physicist she refers to as M. He is passionate about many things, including the making and flying of beautiful silk kites. The two begin a love affair. Told in flashback, after Kitty s return to the states, each of these interlocking flash-fiction stories weaves an element of their love relationship into a gift or item he sends her almost daily through the mail. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler has called From the Umberplatzen a brilliant mosaic of a novel.

56 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2012

Reviews

[Marcus Speh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book--I carry it with me at all times and whip it out at a moment's notice. These stories are very special, full of depth and spirit. They resonate with the trees and people and cafes and markets and apartments of my German city neighborhood. Tepper creates an entire world that spins around the two central characters, a world that is reminiscent of places in the shade where love happens where wine is deeply red, where there's no short supply of the right shoes, where the sky's filled with kites. -- I read the book today on a market while queuing for food. "Never heard of that Umberplatzen tree," a woman said next to me who must've read over my shoulder. I tried to explain but ended up simply giving her the book while we queued. Because I won't part from it and neither should you when you get your copy. When she gave it back her face had a dreamy expression and she seemed sated. Just lovely.

[Sylvia Petter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book today and have just finshed its slim 50 pages. It´s a love story, one that reinforces my love for the "lies" of fiction, for they are more truthful than a "true" story can ever be. In one-page flashes that linger, Tepper tells her story with but one comma. The simple typewriter typeface adds to the charm of this delicate yet strong little book. I note Robert Olen Butler´s words on the back cover and now understand what he meant when he said a story needed to have yearning. Thank you, Susan, for the story and the lesson.

[Kate]

From full stop: "This photographic language conjures the cliche “a picture is worth a thousand words.” And herein is our argument, our little thesis. Not only is a picture worth a thousand words, but a thousand words is worth exactly that: a picture. A scene. Something developed just enough to look at, but no more. An appearance. A superfice, face, or front. A phaneron."

[Gessy Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Tepper's novel is about that mysterious place where love simply exists. The novel is divided into short pieces. Each piece is written with precision and honesty. Each ends with a gift, an illumination on what was and what can never be again. It declares that the memory of a love affair is a bittersweet trophy. An enchanting novel from beginning to end!

[Roberto Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The push and pull of these characters kept me turning the page. I was entertained, infuriated, enamored, and laughing out loud. A great and fun read!

[Eric Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing work. My new favorite book of flash fiction. Susan Tepper has done something truly wonderful with the form.