February Shadows By Elisabeth Reichart, Translation and Commentary by Donna L. Hoffmeister, Afterword by Christa Wolf

Reichart presents a unique story of a mother-daughter relationship which necessitates the older woman's confrontation with her wartime past. The event that weighs heavily on her mind is the so-called "mill district rabbit hunt," which occurred when the approximately five-hundred escaped Russian prisoners were tracked down by the authorities and the general community. Through the generation conflict Reichart explores the guilt which her protagonist has struggled for so long to suppress.

"The emotional impact of this short book is tremendous. E. Reichart's spare, economical style weights each word with meaning and implication. . . Donna Hoffmeister has provided both a sensitive translation and a perceptive introduction." Times Literary Supplement