The Female Adolescent in Exile in Works by Irina Odoevtseva, Nina Berberova, Irmgard Keun, and Ilse Tielsch

The condition of exile, a wide-ranging phenomenon of the twentieth century, has been of considerable interest to writers and scholars alike. Focusing on the novels Izol'da by Irina Odoevtseva, Mys bur' by Nina Berberova, Kind aller Länder by Irmgard Keun, and Heimatsuchen by Ilse Tielsch, this book is the first in its field to examine the literary representation of the adolescent girl in exile. It explores the interplay of themes and images relating to adolescence, femaleness, and exile through a close reading of each individual text as well as from a comparative perspective. This book highlights the work of four women writers who have only recently begun to gain scholarly recognition. Additionally, it situates both the works and their authors in their historical context and in the context of Slavic or Germanic scholarship.