At first glance, Else’s 1960s family life seems typical. But she’s the first woman in Hessen to get a taxi driver’s license – and that’s not her only secret. In their brilliant debut novel Jasna Fritzi Bauer and Katharina Zorn tell the story of a quiet emancipation and an escape from a socially prescribed role.
Else lives in Frankfurt with her husband, Willy, and their two daughters. To all appearances she is the perfect wife and mother. While Willy is often away on business trips or at the local tennis club, Else embarks on her own adventure: after spotting an ad in the newspaper, she decides to become a taxi driver. In secret. Meeting all kinds of people on her nightly drives, she begins to change.
One day, she discovers that Willy is cheating on her. And he’s not the only one – her friend Marta’s husband is also having affairs. The two women find ways to cope with the betrayal – in an era when men call the shots. But it’s only decades later, when Willy seems to have discovered her past as a cabbie, that Else finally breaks free. Emptying her bank account, she travels to France with her granddaughter, Emma. During the trip, Else finally feels seen – by Emma and by the rest of the world.
