Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Dear Fellow Reader,

This week’s book got me thinking about styles of writing. It seems to me that the books I have read written by authors from the Netherlands have a different style to them, but they are similar to each other. I’m thinking of books like A Man Called Ove, The 100-Year-Old Man, and Hotel Silence. I don’t know if all books from that area are similar or if it just so happens that the ones I have read have the same sort of humor and cadence.

And here is that sentence that I appear to be obligated to put into reviews for books I am given. I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased opinion. Are you as sick of reading that as I am?


What You Can See from Here was written by a German woman and is being released in the U.S. as a translation. The style of the book greatly reminds me of the books I mentioned in the previous paragraph The book will be released on June 22, 2021. Since the chance that I will forget the plot of the book by then is high, I am writing this review a bit early.

The book opens by telling the story of 10-year-old Luisa. Luisa’s Grandmother, Selma, has dreamed of an Okapi. That indicates to the villagers that someone is going to die. We meet the villagers by finding out their reactions to the bad omen. Luisa and her friend Martin roam the village and spend most of their time together. The village has a host of off-beat characters that help move the story along. Everyone relaxes when no one dies in the 24 hours after Selma had her dream. But then tragedy strikes and the death affects all the characters. One of the principal characters is only known as “the Optician”. He loves Selma but had never told her. He is with her every day and has helped teaching Martin and Luisa things like tying their shoes and how to tell time. Luisa’s mother owns a florist shop and spends most of her time trying to decide if she should leave Luisa’s father. Luisa’s father is a doctor but he is unsettled. Selma and the Optician are the most stable forces in Luisa and Martin’s lives. The story follows Luisa from the age of 10 until the age of 35.

I enjoyed the book. There are times that you can tell it is a translation because the wording isn’t quite right, but that is occasional, and it doesn’t take away from the story. I was reading the book on the Kindle app. When reading an eBook, you don’t know how long the book is. It seemed to me that it moved a bit slowly at first but then I got in the rhythm of it and it took off.

Thanks for reading.

3.5 stars. This novel begins with Selma having had a dream of an okapi, a rare and somewhat mysterious animal, which supposedly means that somebody in her small German village will die within 24 hours. What follows is a beautifully written tale that looks into the lives of some of the townspeople and their relation to Selma, her dream, and each other.

There is no high drama here, just a look at daily lives of regular people in a very small town. Simple, but not boring. The characters portrayed are all delightfully strange in their own ways, but lovable nonetheless. Overall, this is a story of missed chances and togetherness, as well as the beauty of the simple, small things in life — things that we somehow neglect in our harried existences.

A truly delightful, warm-hearted and beautiful book. The characters are unique and I would read this again and again. I can’t even describe what makes this book so enjoyable, it just is.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What You Can See From Here, by Mariana Levy and translated to English by Tess Lewis, was not at all what I was expecting, it far surpassed my expectations. The story follows a small group of characters in Germany village as they explore Life, Death and most of all, Unconditional Love.

Part 1 of this book, is somewhat slow and possibly a little boring, but putting the effort into getting through it, will bring great the rewards of Parts 2 and 3.

This is a book that should be read by EVERYONE, as that would make the world a more compassionate place to live!

As Luisa navigates her life in a small village, everyone around her does all they can to be there for one another. In a wonderful story of love and loss and extended family, you follow Luisa through unexpected and expected loss, of love and distance and growing up. As she goes through each day, she realizes that “it takes a village” is the phrase she’s been living through her entire life.

I genuinely don't know if I can adequately describe how this book made me feel. It's not revolutionary or life-changing in any way, and it isn't going to blow your mind or hit you over the head with lessons or reflections of self. Instead, it's the kind of book that you read and don't give much thought until you finish and realize the whole time you were quietly falling in love with it. It's a book about daily lives in a very small town, so it's quiet and somewhat monotonous, but in a comforting way. I loved how the author showed the passage of time by describing various townspeople and their lives. Although they aren't the main characters, it felt a much more authentic and organic way of showing how time passes and nothing changes but everything does.

I was intrigued by the synopsis and, in a weird twist, had just learned of okapis a few days prior to seeing this book's summary. That coincidence, combined with the slightly fantastical premise, made me pick up this book. While the dream isn't the premise of the entire book, it does set the stage for the first part and moves the characters' actions along. I had guessed who the dream referred to prior to the reveal, but that didn't make it any less sad when it happened.

The author's worldview and writing help make this story. Alone, the story is just a quietly meandering walk through a sleepy town. But add in the author's wit and fun way of observing the world and peoples' actions, and the story becomes at time laugh out loud funny and also silent-tears-sad in other parts. Reflections on subjects such as suicide by an elderly person become funnier than you can anticipate, and a scenario where terrible children are killing a small animal has an ending that will bring out the hopeless romantic in you. Weird, I know, but it's true.

I didn't realize it, but I had fallen in love with everyone - Selma, the optician, Elsbeth (oh, my heart, Elsbeth), Martin (sob), Frederick (that weird man who fit in perfectly, I love him just as inexplicably as Luisa does), even Marlies, the grouchiest person I've ever read about. This book isn't anything like I expected, but I'm not the least bit disappointed.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for a review.

I took four years of German in high school. As part of that experience, I was introduced to some German books and films. As an American, I have to put aside some preconceived notions on how a book should read. There is a difference when reading German literature - a difference in the way thoughts flow and stories are told. It's not a good thing or bad thing, just a different thing. I read the entire story before reading the author page and realizing the book was translated from German, and when I did, everything made sense. I really enjoyed the story and would definitely read more from this author.
#OkapiDreams #NetGalley

In a small village, Luise grows up among superstitions people. Her grandmother sees an Okapi in her dreams and shortly after, someone dies. And as Luise grows up, she must come to terms with deaths in her life.

This was an interesting read, but also confusing at times. I found myself backtracking multiple times to even know what was happening. The writing is beautiful and I enjoyed all the characters. I found Luise to be a sweet and captivating main character, and her views of the people in her life were fun to read.

There were some time jumps that were a bit jarring, but overall this was a a wonderful coming of age and finding yourself novel.

It was a lovely book but to slow paced for me and didn’t hold my attention but I loved the characters and settings

The story of Luise's life as told in What You Can See From Here is at times delightful and at times baffling. I liked the characters and the village, but I especially liked the dog, Alaska. Overall, it's not a novel that I would read twice, but I thank NetGalley for the ARC which gave me the chance to read it at all!

Wow. What a beautifully written novel. I just finished it and want to read it again. One of those books that I couldn’t wait to finish and didn’t want to end.

The book starts with Selma having had a dream of an okapi, which means somebody in the town will die. The author then masterfully weaves through the lives and personalities of the townspeople, all from the viewpoint of Louisa, who is about ten in the beginning and 30-ish by the end.

The author’s writing style is so wonderful - I’m in awe of how she does it. Her descriptions are complex in their simplicity (“the bed sheets smelled of Schnapps and loneliness”), the story is a comforting quilt, stitched together one square at a time.

I will read whatever else is available by the author.
So. Good.

#netgalley #whatyoucanseefromhere

Lovely prose, but I found myself bored with the slow pace. I didn't finish it, although I may go back to it at some point.

I absolutely adored this book and am so grateful to the publisher for offering me an early copy because I might not have otherwise picked it up. I laughed, I cried, and I fell head-over-heels in love with every single character in this beautiful novel. I was sad to get to the last page and I am positive these characters will stick with me for the foreseeable future.

What You Can See From Here was just not my cup of tea. There was not enough suspense .and too much description of all the characters and reminiscing of the past.

Mariana Leky’s What You Can See From Here tackles grief and the ripple effect of tragedy. This literary novel begins with an omen: Selma has dreamed of an okapi, which signals that someone in their West German village is going to die. The dream and what it brings will have a ripple effect felt in the community for decades to come.


What follows is a study in grief and the ways it never truly leaves you. Selma’s grief stems from the loss of her late husband. Though it is Selma’s dream that starts the novel off, it is her granddaughter that is the primary main character. Luisa is ten years old when Selma again dreams of an okapi, and this sign sends the village into a tailspin.

The novel builds its pace as Luisa ages, a subtle but effective tool to show how our perception of the passage of time changes with age. It is her coming of age story, and it is marked by loss, heartache, and the uncertainty that grows from a childhood marked by tragedy.

This novel has a distinct literary tilt, full of philosophical questions poised to curate deep thinking. It also contains an aptly named dog, Alaska, who inevitably brings joy to any scene he’s in. Alaska was by far my favorite character.

It’s most definitely a book to make you cry. I absolutely sobbed because of this book, and had to set it aside for a full weekend before I could forgive it enough to continue reading.

Much like grief, this story has weight. Some chapters are almost too heavy, and you have to put it down and rest to regain the strength to continue. Some chapters are full of the unique antics of the townspeople, gaffs and oddball behavior sure to illicit laughter.


What You Can See From Here will be available June 22, 2021. Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Staus, & Giroux for an advanced copy such that I could write this honest review.

Once again, there will be a trigger warning far below that does contain a spoiler. Please proceed with caution.

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TRIGGER WARNING:

This novel contains subtle hints of child abuse, a child’s death and the grief over that child’s death. There are also adult deaths.

I confess I don’t understand this book. I’m sure there is an audience out there that will love it, but I’m afraid I probably should comment pro or con if I don’t understand it. Thanks for letting me try it anyway.

This book surprised me so much - in a good way! After reading the prologue and the first chapter I was thinking "uh oh, I don't know if I'm going to like this one". I'm glad I kept reading because this was a really good read.

Themes of love and loss, denial, community, and life and death are addressed through the interaction and speech of a group of quirky characters who are delightful. The setting is a small village in Germany. The central plot is Luisa's life growing up in the village where she experiences a tragic loss as a 10 year old, unrequited love as a young woman, and finding her place in the world. Selma, Luisa's grandmother, is another prominent figure in the book. Selma is Luisa's anchor, and she and Luisa are very close. At the start of the book, you find out that when Selma has a dream with an okapi in it, someone in the village dies within a certain number of hours. So when one of these dreams occurs, news spreads like crazy through the village and puts everyone on edge. Then there are several other quirky, eccentric characters in the book who make up this close community.

Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux through Netgalley for an advance copy.

It's so hard to collect my thoughts and summarize this books. It is such a powerful story of how one person can be everyone's rock, everyone's anchor and loss of such figure could turn everything upside down.

In every family, in every community, there is always that one person that everyone runs to when they need help and guidance. That individual can calm your nerves, put your mind at ease and sometimes tells you the truth that no one was willing to tell. You would feel part of the family or community only because of that person and you stay where you are even if you are missing opportunities elsewhere. Or you would feel completely free of any responsibility because this person would be taking them all on your behalf.

And losing such person will make those who stayed leave and those who left stay... Selma was that person in that tiny town in Germany. No one liked when they heard Selma had another dream, but they rather had her dream occasionally then losing her altogether. Everyone should give book a chance!

As I began the book, I wasn't sure where it was going. It was a slow start for me but as I began to meet the characters from a small village in Germany, I began to find them endearing and quirky. A grandmother's dream of an okapi has the village in an uproar. We meet everyone in the village, each with their own little quirks. I found it entertaining and funny as well as a little sad. I don't know how much more I can say without telling the story. If you enjoy reading unconventional stories, I think you would enjoy this book. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.