Dörte Hansen: Broder

On origins, rivalry, and our responsibility toward nature. “Broder”—the new major novel by Dörte Hansen. Broder Bahnsen never wanted to be anything other than a farmer, following in the footsteps of his father, who passed down to him a “knack for cows”—an instinctive understanding of animals. But the farm goes to his twin brother Henning, who is just a few minutes older, has always been more self-assured, and is more interested in machinery. Driven away from the farm, Broder Bahnsen builds a life for himself elsewhere, becomes a veterinarian, and keeps his distance from the family business—until, after more than twenty years, he returns and takes over a practice near his family. From then on, he also takes care of his brother’s herd; his brother has turned their parents’ farm into a state-of-the-art model operation, with cows bred for maximum milk production. But success comes at a price. Broder is the first to notice that Henning is slowly losing control of his farm. And he suddenly finds himself wondering if this isn’t exactly what he’s been waiting for all these years. Is this his chance to finally take his brother’s place? Or, just like his daughter Claire, has he long since begun to harbor doubts about this type of animal husbandry? Dörte Hansen writes with great clarity about a world in which our belief in endless growth is reaching its limits and the question of our responsibility toward creation is becoming increasingly urgent.

Dörte Hansen, born in Husum in 1964, worked as an NDR editor and writer for radio and print after completing her studies in linguistics. Her debut novel, "Altes Land", was named the “Independent Booksellers’ Favorite Book” in 2015. Her second novel, "Mittagsstunde" (2018), was awarded the Rheingau Literature Prize and the Grimmelshausen Literature Prize. Her highly acclaimed novel "Zur See" was published in 2022. Acclaimed by readers and critics alike, all of her books have become bestsellers. Dörte Hansen lives with her family in North Frisia.