Pankoland
German, Atlantis, 2024
“I was afraid for Fredo. If they caught him, he was lost. Some people had already disappeared from Pankoland at night, most recently Helena. That was in late winter, when the snow from the road had melted so quickly in the morning that not even a trace was left.”
“In Esperanza, all the buildings were skyscrapers. But there was space in between them, because each of them stood in a large garden, which was divided amongst the inhabitants. Everyone had to plant vegetables, although we had fields behind the village. Every person, from small babies to old women, had at least one box they had to grow things in.”
“Fredo pulled out a small package from under his bed. It was wrapped in green paper and tied with string.
‘Take this to the border,’ he said.
His voice trembled a little.
‘What is it?’ I asked.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said. ‘Just take it.’”
A youth novel about oppression, rebellion and growing up in our time
There are strict rules in Pankoland. Society is geared towards self-sufficiency; everyone, from babies to old women, must grow vegetables. Mr Panko and Ms Brenzi lay down the rules for communal living. Everything is controlled, seemingly for good reason. At night, ‘the Undergrounds’—who raid the gardens and even kidnap teenagers—appear. Clemens lives here with his older brother Fredo and his aunt. Clemens can hardly remember his parents; they disappeared when he was very young and those who are no longer around are quickly forgotten in Pankoland. Fredo seems to see through the ‘rules of the night’. But is everything better beyond the guarded borders? When Clemens is told to smuggle a secret package across the border, he opens it—against Fredo’s orders. Then he’s captured by the Undergrounds. In captivity, he meets Helena, who had been kidnapped from Pankoland some time ago. Away from his familiar surroundings, Clemens realises that the hostile neighbours must follow strict rules like those in Pankoland. He begins to rethink his experiences: he must defend himself, he must escape—if possible, with Helena and the other prisoners.
- Title
- Pankoland
- Publisher
- Atlantis
- Translation rights
- Luisa Heim, heim@atlantisverlag.ch
- Publication date
- August 2024
- Pages
- 256
- ISBN
- 978-3-7152-3017-7
Author
Eva Roth
Eva Roth (born 1974) writes prose and plays for children and adults. She first worked as a teacher and then as an editor and translator of picture books. Today, she dedicates herself mainly to writing and has received several awards for her books. She lives with her family in Zurich.
Photo: © Jürg Obrist