Das ferne Land

by Michael Baron, Edith Beleites (Translator)

»Was wirklich zählt im Leben« Als Becky noch klein war, haben sie und ihr Vater sich Geschichten erzählt, Geschichten über das Phantasieland »Tamarisk«, in dem die junge Heldin Miea Abenteuer erlebt und viele Prüfungen zu bestehen hat. Dann haben sich ihre Eltern getrennt, und Becky wollte nichts mehr von Tamarisk wissen. Doch nun ist Becky schwer krank. Nachts reist sie in ihren Träumen erneut in das magische Reich, in dem sie offenbar eine Aufgabe zu erfüllen hat, denn Tamarisk stirbt – genau wie Becky … Ein bewegender Roman über einen Vater, der um das Wichtigste kämpft: das Leben seiner Tochter.

Paperback

First published August 31, 2007

About the author

I grew up in the New York area and I’ve lived there my entire life. I worked in retail and taught high school English before I got my first book contract. I have gotten several additional book contracts since then, which is fortunate because I didn’t have the patience to work in retail and, while I quite enjoyed teaching, my approach was a bit too unconventional for most school systems. One school administrator told me that, “there are more important things than being a dynamic teacher.” Since I couldn’t name any of those things (at least in the context of school), I figured I didn’t have a long-term future in the profession. Hence, I became a writer, where I believe people appreciate a certain level of dynamism.


Though I started with nonfiction, I have always loved fiction and I have always wanted to write it. I’ve always had a particular affection for love stories. In fact, the very first book-length thing I ever wrote, when I was thirteen, was a love story. Mind you, it was the kind of love story that a thirteen-year-old boy would write, but it was a love story nonetheless. I have a deep passion for writing about relationships – family relationships, working relationships, friendships, and, of course, romantic relationships – and I can only truly explore this by writing fiction. These novels have given me a way to voice the millions of things running through my head.


My wife and kids are the center of my life. My wife is the inspiration for all of my love stories and my children enthrall me, challenge me, and keep me moving. One of the primary reasons I wrote my first novel, When You Went Away was that I wanted to write about being a father. Aside from my family, I have a few other burning passions. I’m a pop culture junkie with an especially strong interest in music, I love fine food (and any restaurant shaped like a hot dog), and I read far too many sports blogs for my own good.


You might have noticed that I haven't published a photo of myself. This isn't because I'm involved in the Witness Protection program or because I have an innate fear of cameras. It's because Michael Baron is a pseudonym. I'm writing these novels “undercover” because they're not entirely compatible with the nonfiction books I write and I didn't want to confuse readers. We're all different people sometimes, right? I just decided to give my alter ego another name.


My third novel, The Journey Home, has just come out. It’s a love story, too. Naturally.