Geller
This debut novel by a young Frisian female author is raw, poignant and shamelessly honest – but above all, full of hope
Gabriëlle Terpstra is a rising star in Frisian literature. In a humorous, compassionate and crisp style, she tells a story about being born to addicts, childhood poverty, self-medication and sex.
Geller is born into a dysfunctional family. Mother can’t cope, father is rarely seen at home and disappears after the birth of her younger brother Eliot, who has autism. She is raised by her emotionally stunted aunt. Geller is a failure, or at least that’s what she tells herself: she’s too fat, stupid, ugly. That’s why nobody’s remotely interested in her. Smoking, sex, alcohol and drugs become an attempt to change that narrative.
The novel unfolds as a lively two-plot monologue. The first thread begins with Geller's birth, while the other opens with her as a young woman who realises her dead-end life needs fixing. Terpstra takes an almost nonchalant approach, writing with brutal honesty and a cold, sometimes laconic tone that unsettles as much as it moves. More than anything, this is a portrait of one woman's courageous search for a better life.
A candid book that is as raw as it is full of hope
A new, young voice in Frisian literature
Semi-autobiographical: Terpstra draws on her own experiences with addiction and loss
Gabriëlle Terpstra (1990) is an author, spoken word artist and podcast creator. She lost her mother at four years old and was raised by her maternal family. Though she grew up speaking Frisian, she long resisted writing in her first language — until time spent among Frisian writers changed her mind. She runs a literary podcast and founded the poetry collective Pauper Poëzie.