I find myself struggling to give an appropriate and accurate synopsis of this novel, because even by doing so feels like a disservice to this novel. But in a nutshell: in the mid 1980s in Germany, 60 year-old Selma is woken up by her fourth dream with an okapi - a fantastical animal that is a combination of many. Every time she's had this dream, someone in the village has died the following day. The rest of the villagers respond differently to this news each time it happens; some retreat into their homes in fear, some hope for the quiet end to their own lives, while others reveal the truths they've buried for many years.

At its core, this novel is about people and how they choose to live their lives. It's about the emotions they face, the stories they do and don't tell, and the relationships they build and end. At the surface this novel is simple, but peel back the layers and there are so many life lessons that are hidden in each chapter.

What You Can See From Here by Mariana Leky is an excellent fictional novel that really is unique, entertaining, quirky, and heartwarming through it all.

This is the story of a family told over several generations that really drew me in. This edition has been translated from German to English and I really feel that the translation is impressive. The story seems to start off slow, but once I continued onward, it really drew me in and it picked up. Telling of a family in a small German town, the story brings plenty of unique and quirky aspects that really made it memorable and endearing, yet still approachable.

Slightly different from some of the typical genres I usually read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and am so glad I read it.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Provocative tale of relationships, love and the ties that bind, What You Can See From Here by Mariana Leky is a lyrical, almost mystical story. Even when tragedy comes along, the pace of the book is calm and meandering. Intriguing,..I’m glad I read it!

Mariana Leky has written a warm heartfelt story in What You Can See from Here.
Where a multigenerational family finds their way in love, trouble and heartache.
And a dashing Buddhist monk awakens a young woman’s heart.

At around 18%, I didn't think that I would finish. I read a GoodReads post that indicated that the book was much better after the first 1/3 and they were right; around there I was hooked and finished the next day.

Written in German and translated to English. A little different, but definitely worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), the author Mariana Leky and the translator Tess Lewis for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 22 June 2021.

Everything is set in motion when Selma dreams of an okapi. Whenever this unusual mammal appears in her dreams, someone inevitably dies in the next 24 hours. Taking place in a small German village in 1983, the first part of the book deals with the aftermath of the dream told from the perspective of Luisa, Selma's 10-year-old granddaughter.

Selma's dream spreads like wildfire and frightens the community. Who is going to die? Superstitions prevail in the village and nobody doubts that Death will come. The close-knit community is like a family. They rely on each other, look out for each other. When Death comes, there is a strong sense of solidarity and support within the village. Nobody is left behind.

The second part follows Luisa as she enters adulthood and falls in love for the first time. She remains attached to the village and continues to be an active part of the community. In the third part, time is condensed. The novel starts slow. During childhood, time stretches lazily. It continues to build up speed until it's racing through the years towards the end. The reader senses the urgency, the impossibility of stopping time.

The novel is funny, playful, and creative both through language and imagery.
It's a Bildungsroman, Luisa's coming of age in a loving, small community.
It's an exploration of grief, love, and the meaning of life.
It's the story of an okapi, an omen of death in Selma's dreams.
Ultimately, it's the story of a community so beautifully brought to life that the characters feel like real people. It made me think of Anne of Green Gables and her beautiful village, Avonlea.

I highly recommend it!

The cover attracted me; the description decided me; the novel itself blew me away.

The book blurb on Goodreads definitely does not do the whole book justice, and the one on NetGalley may come close but does not give a full picture of the book, either. The focus of the blurb is on the first third of the book: Selma has dreamed of an okapi; the last two times she did that, someone died, and everyone in the village expects the third time to be no different. After the events surrounding the okapi's death ended, I somehow expected the novel to start wrapping itself up despite there being a good 300 pages still left – after all, wasn't the book's main focus supposed to be the death caused by Selma's dream?

It was not so. There were still two important events in Luisa's life left to explore... and boy, did the author do that well. From beginning to end, the writing was awe-inspiring. Mariana Leky neatly inserted metaphors for all aspects of life, as well as other figures of speech to bring colour to her characters, setting and scene. You can see from how much time and attention each and every single personality in the novel was given that the author loved her characters and was devoted to making her readers love them, too – faults and flaws included.

The optician said you can't always choose the adventures you're made for, but I'm glad I chose this book.

Sometimes it feels just exactly right to have a long, loud cry. And, this novel is the perfect companion. A sweet and oh so sad novel full of compassion and love. <sigh>