An island outside of time. Peacock Island in the Havel is an artificial paradise. In his opulent, knowledgeable, and touching novel, Thomas Hettche tells the story of its bloom, maturity, and decline from the perspective of the diminutive castle maiden Marie, whose life story encapsulates the history of an entire century. It feels like a modern fairy tale, as it begins with a queen who meets a dwarf and is horrified. Barely eight weeks after this encounter on Peacock Island, on July 19, 1810, young Queen Louise is dead – and the small-statured Christian and his sister Marie continue to live with the queen's horrified exclamation: "Monster!" This sets the stage for the dimension of this story, exemplified by Marie, who lives between the Wars of Liberation and the Restoration, between the palm house and the menagerie, garden art and philosophy.