The world’s largest book fair, Frankfurter Buchmesse, once again opened its doors from October 15–19, 2025, in Frankfurt, Germany—welcoming dreamers, storytellers, and innovators from across the globe. Known as the beating heart of the publishing world, this grand event gathers more than 7,500 exhibitors from over 100 countries, with an expected 280,000 attendees and 10,000 media professionals. It’s not just a fair—it’s a global celebration of literature, culture, and creativity.
This year’s fair raises the bar even higher, offering more than 4,000 seminars and roundtable discussions that spotlight the evolving future of books and storytelling. From bold new voices to literary legends, the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 remains the ultimate hub for discovering stories that inspire, unite, and challenge perspectives.
Adding a splash of cultural pride, this year’s Guest of Honour—Philippines—brings its vibrant literary tradition and storytelling heritage to the world stage. With colorful themes of faith, family, and identity, the Philippines’ participation breathes new life into this year’s fair, reminding everyone that imagination knows no borders.
https://www.messemasters.com/shows/frankfurt-book-fair/ As the fair celebrates another successful year of bringing together the brightest minds in publishing, Citi of Books proudly joins the festivities at the 77th Frankfurter Buchmesse, showcasing inspiring titles from its talented authors. Among the featured works in the Book Gallery is “Obelisk: German Edition” by Georgina Fatseas— a historical novel that circles around three young survivors, Oskar, his sister Kianna, and their friend Jaro, who are forced to flee for their lives from the massacre caused by Germany’s invasion of the small village of Weghaltz.
World War II was the biggest bloodshed war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi Germany invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years. The characters in this story are fictional, but the events are based on the true-life experience of the Austrian World War II Veterans.
“Obelisk” is a gripping tale of survival and sacrifice inspired by the three Austrian deserters from World War II. The three young survivors escaped into the mountains. They are later joined by two other runaways, Paul and Lori from Loeben, who desert the German army.
The five extensively traveled through Italy and became Italian soldiers assigned to Albania. Kianna is assigned hostess duties in local bars and eventually to the Vatican. The men desert the Italian army and rescue Kianna. They travel to Switzerland, where they settle down. They are enlisted in the Swiss army. Oskar, Lori, and Jaro are required to go undercover in France and Germany. After two years in Switzerland, Kianna is kidnapped. Oskar leaves the group and travels through war-torn Europe to find Kianna. To cross borders, he changes uniforms.
Georgina Fatseas combines her research with her passion for history, exploring the intricate web of human experiences shaped by war. She highlights the invaluable perspectives veterans offer and the critical need for society to engage in empathetic dialogue. By sharing their stories, she aims to break the barriers of silence that often shroud these veterans, allowing their experiences to be heard and understood.
This book, like the obelisk in the village of Weghaltz, honors all the hardships of veterans who died in the wars and emphasizes the significance of acknowledging and understanding the invisible scars veterans carry, as society tends to focus solely on visible physical injuries.
Overall, the author aims to convey the difficulty of survival, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bond of family. With powerful emotions and a heart-racing plot, readers will be on the edge of their seats until the very end.
Below is the German description of the book:
Der Obelisk.
Diese Geschichte aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wurde von drei österreichischen Deserteuren inspiriert.
Oskar, seine Schwester Kianna und ihr Freund Jaro sind die einzigen Überlebenden ihres zerstörten Dorfes in Österreich. Sie fliehen in die Berge. Später schließen sich ihnen zwei weitere Ausreißer an: Paul und Lori, die von der deutschen Armee mit Waffengewalt eingezogen wurden und desertiert sind. Auch sie werden Zeugen des Mordes an ihren Dorfbewohnern. Um der deutschen Armee zu entgehen, beschließen sie, nach Italien zu fliehen.
Sie reisen ausgiebig durch Italien und werden schließlich als italienische Soldaten in Albanien eingesetzt. Kianna wird zunächst in lokalen Bars und schließlich im Vatikan als Hostess eingesetzt. Die Männer desertieren von der italienischen Armee und retten Kianna. Sie reisen in die Schweiz, wo sie sich niederlassen. Dort werden sie von der Schweizer Armee angeworben. Oskar, Lori und Jaro müssen undercover nach Frankreich und Deutschland gehen.
Zwei Jahre später wird Kianna in der Schweiz entführt. Oskar verlässt die Gruppe, um Kianna zu finden, und reist durch das vom Krieg zerrissene Europa. Um die Grenzen zu überschreiten, wechselt er die Uniform. Wie weit geht ein Bruder, um seine Schwester zu retten, die seine einzige noch lebende Verwandte ist?
Purchase the book through this link: https://citiofbooks.com/bookstore/fiction/obelisk-german-edition/
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