Rübezahl

Rübezal is an ancient German spirit of the mountains who can help a lost traveler if the spirit takes a liking to him. But it can also lead him to death. Marianna Ionova’s novel contains the form of an epic within the form of a trilogy. Ionova gathered stories about the connection between a person and the Earth’s depths. This connection in each destiny works differently. The novella that gave the title to the entire book perhaps shows most vividly that geology can be not only a profession, but also a mystical calling… Ingo Huber collected minerals since childhood. And years later, during World War II, having survived American captivity and the mining camps in Siberia, he became Igor Ivanovich. Married to a Russian, who adopted a Russian girl that became dearer to him than his own son left in Germany. Continuing to serve science faithfully, he longed for a life he had never lived… and was he really Ingo Huber—or is there a secret here of someone else’s identity? Where did Rübezal lead him?

Marianna Ionova graduated from the Faculty of Philology at the University of the Russian Academy of Education and the Faculty of History of Art at the Russian State University for the Humanities. She has been published in journals “Zinzyver,” “Children of Ra,” “Arion,” “Vozdukh,” “Znamya,” “Novy Mir.” Author of several books of prose published in Russia and the Czech Republic. Lives in Moscow. With the essay “Residents of Gardens,” she became a laureate of the 2011 “Debut” prize in the category of essay-writing. Nominated for the “National Bestseller” award.