Sometimes, after coming home from work at his practice, Doc, whose real name is Hermann Dik, sits at home exhausted, even skipping his sports group; he can’t seem to manage his work-life balance. But his job is entertaining: doors opening, patients walking in and out – and home visits afterwards. His employee Christine has six legs and arms, she keeps the place running. Doc listens to the patients’ stories. Mr Viersen has no time for his slipped disc, while Mrs Glüsing dresses up for the doctor and Mrs Bültjer is nearing the end of her life in an old people’s home. At the end of his work days, Doc isn’t expecting a loving wife at home because she has died; but his sister means well and invites him to the family party. The world is a colourful place, Doc tells himself when his neighbour Mechthild and her son, a young activist, drop by. And then there’s his university friend Brummer, with whom Doc chats about getting older, about their defeats and prospects.
Sabine Peters sketches four generations, who each have their own perspective on things due to their age and their jobs. Doc, in the center of it all, is a melancholic hero, but he is not alone. A gentle book on what it means to be human.
Sabine Peters, born in 1961, studied Literature, Political Science and Philosophy in Hamburg. After several years in Rheiderland, she has been living in Hamburg again since 2004. In addition to her novels, short stories and radio plays, Sabine Peters also writes essays and reviews. She has received several awards, such as ›Ernst-Willner-Preis‹, ›Clemens-Brentano-Preis‹, ›Evangelischer Buchpreis‹ and ›Georg-K.-Glaser-Preis‹. In 2016, she was awarded ›Italo-Svevo-Preis‹.
