Caroline Wahl: 1999 Meter über dem Meer

The new novel by one of today’s most sought-after young authors

In her novel “1,999 Meters Above Sea Level,” Caroline Wahl tells the story of a young woman who isn’t satisfied with the opportunities life has offered her so far. She dreams of a different life—of success, freedom, and a place in a world that seems off-limits to her. Her journey takes her from Bali to Berlin and on to St. Moritz, the exclusive Swiss resort town at an altitude of 1,999 meters. There, with her striking orange-dyed hair, she immerses herself in a world of wealth, luxury, and privilege. To fit in, she reinvents herself and pretends to be an artist. With surprising success, she manages to become part of this glamorous world, even though she actually feels like an outsider there. But the longer she plays her role, the harder it becomes to distinguish between facade and reality. When she meets a charismatic man with ice-blue eyes, her carefully constructed facade begins to crumble. Suddenly, she is faced with the question of how far she is willing to go to keep her dream alive—and who she actually wants to be.

With plenty of humor, pace, and a keen sense of the contradictions of her time, Caroline Wahl tells a story of longing, self-presentation, and the desire for social advancement. The result is a novel that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking, exploring identity, belonging, and the search for one’s place in the world.

Caroline Wahl,born in Mainz in 1995 and raised near Heidelberg, studied German language and literature in Tübingen and Berlin. Her debut novel, *22 Bahnen*, was an immediate and extraordinary success in 2023; the book received numerous awards and was adapted into a film. Today, she is considered one of the most important voices in contemporary German-language literature.