Instructions for the Working Day

'I love how this seemingly quiet novel is also one of extremes: funny and tragic, captivating and disturbing. Joanna Campbell has written a mind-bending and enigmatic story that blurs the lines between thought and reality' -- Claire Fuller, author of Costa prize-winning Unsettled Ground'You go too far, my friend. You are near dangerous ground.' Neil Fischer owns a village. Having inherited his father's former hometown of Marschwald in East Germany, left to deteriorate since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Neil faces the task of deciphering his demanding father's last wish and restoring the derelict village to its former glory. But when he travels to Marschwald with plans to renovate and revive it, he is met with hostility, mistrust and underlying menace. His only friend in Marschwald is Silke, who is coming to terms with her traumatic experiences during the Cold War and has recently uncovered a shocking truth, concealed from her for years by her controlling brother. As tensions rise, a series of surreal encounters force Neil to contend with his own troubled past - but in his present, all signs point to danger.