4.0
Afterlight
ByPublisher Description
- Inspired by true events, the novel pulls back the veil on the experiences of countless women between the 1950s and 1980s who were forced to give up their children born out of wedlock. The result is an impressive story about buried female trauma, caused by society, organized religion and the dominant social mores.
- Jaap himself about Afterlight: “This novel stems from a poem I once wrote for deceased, unbaptized children who were taken from childbirth between 1950 and 1980 and buried secretly, nameless in unconsecrated ground. That poem was placed on a bench at a monument in Nijmegen. At the unveiling, dozens of women came who had experienced this and had never spoken about it, not even with their own husbands, even if it was their joint child.”
- Takes place in Nijmegen, a once strictly catholic city. The municipality of Nijmegen gives writing assignments to authors, and who granted Robben access to the archives. Features the dilapidated, now lost old Lower Town, the Sint Annastraat, the Houtlaan and the nursing home on the Driehuizerweg. Robben shares from the archives: “Somewhere I even read the advice for women to put a plank in their bed so that their husband could not climb on them.”
- A novel about oppression, disapproval and rejection in society, disguised under the cloak of religion.
- More than 30,000 copies sold in Dutch
- Third novel we are publishing by Jaap Robben. Summer Brother was longlisted for the International Man Booker prize, reviewed by the NYT and praised by Hilary Mantel and Elizabeth Strout. Jaap toured the US extensively twice, and is beloved by festival organizers and booksellers.
- Rights sold to
- German - DuMont Verlag (Birgit Erdmann) (2023)
- English - World Editions (David Doherty) (2024)
- French - Editions Gallmeister (Guillaume Deneufbourg) (2024)
- Hungarian - Metropolis Media (2024)
- Slovenian - Mladinska Kniga (Stana Anzelj) (2024)
Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesAfterlight Reviews
4.0
“Such a meaningful and educational read. A little bit different than I expected because I didn't expect it to have a dual timeline but nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading it.Plotwise, the cheating arc irks me. I believe the story would still have been plausible even if Otto's character wasn't married.
Also, more on Louis and Elfrieda's timeline would have been great.Overall, I think the book has completely expressed the message it wants to convey.”“Very touching book. Well written and easy to read. Lovely ending and based on a true story for moms who have experienced a loss.”
“Very touching book. Well written and easy to read. Lovely ending and based on a true story for moms who have experienced a loss.”
“3.5 stars rounded up**
GOD that was heartbreaking. incredibly beautiful book; was very attached to all the characters by the end, especially elfie of course. quite a heavy read but worth it; it’s going to stick with me for a while. took me some time to get properly into it, but once i got into it it was basically all i could think about.”
About Jaap Robben
JAAP ROBBEN is a Dutch poet, playwright, performer, and acclaimed children’s author. You Have Me to Love, his first novel for adults, won the 2014 Dutch Booksellers Award, the Dioraphte Prize, and the ANV Award for best Dutch debut. Robben was chosen as one of the featured debut authors at the 2018 Brooklyn Book Festival. Summer Brother, his second novel, was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2021. Afterlight is his third novel published by World Editions.
DAVID DOHERTY studied English and literary linguistics in Glasgow before moving to Amsterdam, where he has been working as a translator for over twenty years. His literary work includes novels by award-winning authors Marente de Moor, Peter Terrin and Alfred Birney. Summer Brother, his translation of Jaap Robben’s Zomervacht, won the 2021 Vondel Translation Prize and was longlisted for the International Booker Prize.
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
