Sister Europe: A Novel by Nell Zink (3/25/25)

An irresistible and poignant novel about the upper echelons of Berlin society, a grand literary celebration, and the afterparty that upends the night and carries a group of guests deeper into the city.Naema, an elderly princess dedicated to her pet causes, is in a bind: struck by a malady that maroons her in Montreux, she's unable to host an exclusive gala dinner in Berlin to honor the author Masud al-Huzeil for his lifetime achievement in Arabic literature. Not only is she unable to attend, RSVPs have been slow to materialize, and she's reduced to begging the ancient award-winner to find some attendees at the last minute. Masud invites his old friend Demian, a native Berliner, who in turn invites his two best friends: the troubled innocent Livia, and an American publisher, Toto, who will do anything for a free meal. But Toto doesn't come alone. In tow are his much younger internet date-she's stood him up often enough to be nicknamed "the Flake"-and Demian's 15-year-old daughter, Nicol