Original title: Ferdinand, der Mann mit dem freundlichen Herzen; © by Ullstein Buchverlage GmbH, Berlin. Published in 2019 by Ullstein Taschenbuch Verlag and 1981 by Claassen Verlag. First published in 1950.

"The last novel from the acclaimed author of The Artificial Silk Girl, this 1950 classic paints a delightfully shrewd portrait of postwar German society. Upon his release from a prisoner-of-war camp, Ferdinand Timpe returns somewhat uneasily to civilian life in Cologne. Having survived against the odds, he is now faced with a very different sort of dilemma: How to get rid of his fiancée? Although he certainly doesn't love the mild-mannered Luise, Ferdinand is too considerate to break off the engagement himself, so he sets about finding her a suitable replacement husband-no easy task given Luise's high standards and those of her father, formerly a proud middle-ranking Nazi official. Featuring a lively cast of characters-from Ferdinand's unscrupulous landlady with her black-market schemes to his beguiling cousin Johanna and the many loves of her life-Ferdinand captures a distinct moment in Germany's history, when its people were coming to terms with World War II and searching for a way forward. In Irmgard Keun's effervescent prose, the story feels remarkably modern"--