Everything begins, even the end, when Lajos von Lázár, the blond child with the watery blue eyes, is born. His father, the baron, will never be comfortable with his son, as if he suspected his secret. Lajos' birth in the forest castle also marks the beginning of the 20th century, which will change the old life of the Lázár barons in southern Hungary forever. The fall of the Habsburg Empire only affects their traditions at first, but everyone feels the tremor of the times, from the beautiful Mária to the ghostly uncle Imre. When Lajos takes up his inheritance in the 1920s, the old glory seems to blossom once again. But the children Eva and Pista - who loves the dark so much - have to experience how totalitarian times cast their massive shadows - and learn to stand up to them.
A novel like a world, the overwhelming saga of a family, driven by love and the longing for it, in the maelstrom of the 20th century. Captivating and touching, at the same time full of lightness, dreams and secrets that reflect the tragedy and beauty of existence. And - whether in the face of historical catastrophes or beautiful summer days - the eternal question of how to live.

"The new magician ... a great work." Die Zeit | Favorite book of the independents 2025

Nelio Biedermann, born in 2003, grew up on Lake Zurich. His family comes from Hungarian nobility on his father's side, and his grandparents fled to Switzerland in the 1950s. Biedermann is studying German and Film Studies at the University of Zurich. His novel "Lázár" will be published in more than twenty countries.