Last House Before the Mountain

‘Beautiful and heartbreaking ... I absolutely loved it’ MONICA ALI

‘A poignant, captivating, beautifully woven family saga. As honest as Elena Ferrante, with the folkloric intensity of Téa Obreht’ CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE

‘The final moving paragraph strikes the reader like a knife to the heart’ OBSERVER

Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out for the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice whose consequences will affect the lives of her family for generations to come.

Based on the internationally bestselling and award-winning Austrian novelist Monika Helfer's own family history, Last House Before the Mountain is a propulsive, haunting, multi-layered saga about love, family, and the hidden wages of war.


Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out to seduce the men left behind.

But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice, with consequences that will affect the lives of her family for generations to come.

Based on the award-winning Austrian novelist’s own family history, this is a propulsive, haunting story about love, family and the hidden wages of war.

‘A masterclass in literary compression. Helfer brings a whole world of wonder, loss and deep, deep longing to indelible life’ LAIRD HUNT

Monika Helfer is the bestselling author of novels, short stories, and children’s books, including, most recently, Vati [Daddy], Die Bagage [Last House Before the Mountain], and Die Bar im Freien [The Outdoor Bar]. This is her first novel to be translated into English. She lives in Hohenems, Austria.

Gillian Davidson is a literary translator based in London. She greatly admires Monika Helfer’s work and Last House Before the Mountain is her first published work of translation.