An extraordinary artistic marriage - featuring previously unpublished letters. The correspondence between Theodor Fontane and his wife Emilie offers intimate insights into the highs and lows of a poet's life and paints a vivid picture of a strong woman stepping out of her husband's shadow. Fontane expert Gotthard Erler has compiled the most surprising, painful, and beautiful letters of the couple, even drawing on previously unpublished originals. Spanning half a century in ten chapters, this correspondence ranges from the messages of the newlyweds to Fontane's last letter, written on the day of his death. Long periods of separation, caused by professional and literary obligations as well as the family's difficult financial situation, are bridged by letters.