My German friend recently recommended the author Benedict Wells to me and suggested this particular book. Benedict Wells has become well known in Germany after his debut book Becks letzter Sommer in 2008.

Hard Land is set in the fictional town Grady in Missouri. The main story plays in the summer of 1985. It’s a classic coming-of-age story. The main character, Sam, is a shy teenager without friends. His life and thoughts are consumed by the illness of his mother and how it affects their family. During the summer holidays he starts a job at the local cinema and meets Cameron, Hightower, and Kirstie. Together they spend a memorable summer, in which Sam is confronted with his fears, shyness, love, and grief. The book makes many references to the films and cinema of the 1980s. At first it felt a bit strange to read a story about an American teenager in an American town,written in German, but that feeling went away as the story unfolded.