Written just before the Nazis came to power, this darkly enchanting novel tells the simple story of a young couple trying to eke out a decent life amidst an economic crisis that's transforming their country into a place of anger and despair. It was an international bestseller upon its release, and made into a Hollywood movie by Jewish producers, which prompted the rising Nazis to begin paying ominously close attention to Hans Fallada, even as his novels held out stirring hope for the human spirit.