In this week's edition of Endnotes, we take a look at Nell Zink's Sister Europe, an ensemble piece set in upper-crust Berlin over a long evening. In its review, PW says "the novel allows for reflection on world issues through the characters’ perspectives."
Here's how the book came together:
Nell Zink
“Sister Europe was inspired by encounters with old and new money in ‘poor but sexy’ Berlin. It’s an ensemble piece, so it took work to balance the five protagonists. Lately the unprecedented events never let up, so I set the whole thing on the day I started writing it as a hedge against historical obsolescence.”
Susan Golomb
“I’ve represented Nell since 2014, when I sold her second novel, Mislaid, to Ecco. She was referred to me by Jonathan Franzen. As for Sister Europe, this was the second novel in a two-book deal I made with Dan Halpern when he left Ecco to go to Knopf. It’s always a treat to get a new Nell Zink novel and a delight to share it with Dan.”
Dan Halpern
“Receiving a new novel by Nell Zink is a little like receiving a surprise package containing everything you didn’t know you needed. So you immediately do the necessary paperwork and add it to the fiction list. There is never a lot of work to do on a Zink novel. She’s a careful writer who rarely goes astray in executing her characters and narratives.”
Linda Huang
“Nell originally suggested vintage-style group illustrations and silhouettes for the cover. I tried a few directions but ultimately landed on a colorful illustration of a cast of high-society characters by French artist Georges Barbier. I heightened the colors to make it feel more surreal. To complement the style of art, I chose a period-specific display face and a chartreuse panel.”
