Martin Piekar's Debut Novel Explores German-Polish Postmigrant Experience
Kulturnews.de has selected Martin Piekar's inaugural novel "Vom Fällen eines Stammbaums" (Felling a Family Tree) as its book recommendation of the week. This autofictional piece, driven by dialogue, delves into the relationship between a son and his ailing mother while reflecting on their German-Polish heritage. In Germany, approximately 2.2 million individuals have Polish migration backgrounds, making such narratives uncommon. The novel showcases distinctive dialogue, with the mother, Regina, communicating in a phonetically written Polish-accented singsong. Born in a Russian Gulag in the early 1950s, Regina became a nurse and a single mother, grappling with depression and cancer. At 27, her son Marcin journeys to Poland, examining themes of family dependency and Polish history, blending elements of coming-of-age, family, and dialogue genres.
Key facts
- Martin Piekar's debut novel is titled "Vom Fällen eines Stammbaums".
- The novel is a book recommendation of the week by kulturnews.de.
- It tells the story of a son caring for his ailing mother, exploring German-Polish postmigrant narratives.
- About 2.2 million people with Polish migration history live in Germany, the second-largest migrant group.
- The novel features a unique dialogue form with the mother speaking in Polish-accented German.
- The protagonist Marcin's mother, Regina, was born in a Russian Gulag in the early 1950s.
- Marcin first travels to Poland at age 27 and finds a way out of familial dependency.
- The novel is on kulturnews.de's list of best books for August 2026.
- The author, Martin Piekar, also writes poetry.
Entities
Artists
- Martin Piekar
Institutions
- kulturnews.de
- Federal Agency for Civic Education
Locations
- Germany
- Poland
- Russia