Gretchen

What kind of family do I have?" - exclaims Gretchen Zachmaier. Five walking little cabinets - that's how she, her brother, sister, and parents are referred to behind their backs (and not only). Not the most athletic, slender, and fit.... "But at least we love each other," - reassures herself Gretchen.
One day, the Zachmaier family's life starts to come apart at the seams, like a pair of jeans bought last summer. First, mom goes on a diet - to dad's horror. Then she gets a job - much to his displeasure. And soon she even moves out of their old good apartment - and the displeasure turns into open resentment: who will take care of the house now?! Gretchen doesn't know what to do: after all, her own world is changing too - it seems she has fallen in love. Or has someone fallen in love with her?..
The trilogy by Austrian writer Christine Nöstlinger (1936-2018) tells of several surprisingly bright years in Gretchen's life. Meeting the heroine as a fourteen-year-old, unsure, quiet girl who understands little about people, we see how she changes day by day - and becomes an adult. Or almost an adult. She is surrounded by informal friends, clueless suitors, and constant quarrels and reconciliations with her parents. She makes mistakes and corrects them, and sometimes acts in a way that makes you inadvertently feel proud of her.
All three parts of this great coming-of-age story and multifaceted family saga are published for the first time in Russian and under one cover. Sometimes amusing, sometimes touching, the heroine inspires and evokes empathy - turning into a close friend after just a few chapters.
For middle and high school age.