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Sibylline Press

Liberation was not the end of her story

Published 21 days ago • 1 min read

New release from Sibylline Press!

After the End

A Postwar Novel by Kelli Christiansen

For Sarah Morgenstern, the end of the war is only the beginning of the battle.

On May 2, 1945, the gates of Wöbbelin concentration camp swing open. But for Sarah, liberation is not a celebration. It marks an emptiness she does not yet know how to fill. Clad in a ragged uniform and stripped of everything but her will to live, she is no longer a prisoner, yet she is far from free.

Now labeled a “displaced person,” Sarah must navigate a fractured world of barbed wire and bureaucracy under the watchful eyes of her American liberators. From the crowded barracks of Feldafing to a desk as a translator for the U.S. Army, she begins a painful search for what remains of her family and the girl she once was.

In the chaotic year that follows, Sarah confronts the shadows of her past while daring to imagine a future beyond them. After the End is a luminous story of survival after survival, of grief and resilience, and of the fragile, stubborn hope that makes a new beginning possible even after everything has been lost.

About the Author

Kelli Christiansen has spent her career in publishing as a writer, editor, agent, instructor, and bookseller. Her work has appeared in various media, including Chicago Book Review; Chicago Life; Faith, Hope & Fiction; Midwest Book Review; Midwestern Gothic; and San Francisco Book Review. She graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from Northern Illinois University, and she earned a master’s of liberal arts (MLA) from University of Chicago.

Thursday, November 5, 6PM | Glen Ellyn Public Library, Glen Ellyn, IL

Author Event: Kelli Christiansen Presents After the End: A Postwar Novel

Local author Kelli Christiansen will provide insight into her writing process and perform short readings from her debut novel, After the End, followed by a Q&A session.

PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT AFTER THE END

“After the End is a must-read novel that puts flesh on the bones of what it truly means, on the individual level, to begin—and live—again.”

—Patricia Crisafulli, New York Times bestselling author of the Ohnita Harbor Mystery Series

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