Mareike Fallwickl: Haltet euch fest

Luzia grows up in an extraordinary communal household where people take responsibility for one another—regardless of traditional family models. Here, friendships, queer relationships, and shared parenting are the norm, and the house becomes a safe home for many.

As an adult, Luzia works as a theater director and advocates against patriarchal structures and social inequalities. At the same time, she supports her longtime friend Marle, who, in her early forties, wants to fulfill her dream of having a child. Instead of waiting for a romantic relationship, Marle decides to forge her own path to parenthood and finds support in the community. But when a severe storm rocks the house and its residents, the foundations of their shared life begin to crumble. Suddenly, they must ask themselves whether their chosen family is strong enough to weather crises and preserve their shared ideals.

The novel explores friendship, care, and alternative ways of life. It shows how people live together beyond traditional family and relationship models—and what challenges arise when this community is put to the test.

Mareike Fallwickl made her debutin 2018 with *Dunkelgrün fast schwarz*. *Die Wut, die bleibt* was a huge success with critics and audiences alike, was staged at the Salzburg Festival, and is being adapted for the big screen. “Und alle so still” made it into the top 10 of *Der Spiegel*’s bestseller list and is also being staged at various theaters. Mareike Fallwickl lives in the Salzburg region and is committed to promoting literature both online and offline, with a focus on female and diverse narrative voices.

In cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation Thuringia e.V.