Merel

The story begins in an unusual place: Merel is at a poultry show with a friend. She lives alone on the outskirts of a village, content with her animals, her job as a reporter, her love affair and her surroundings. Until one day, a neighbour starts spreading rumours about her. And the whole village - including the bored youth - jumps on the bandwagon. Merel is bullied and ostracised as a result. Clara Lodewick uses clear images, often zooming in on details, to tell the story of the main character's ever-increasing isolation: the cruelty of the individual villagers, who at first badmouth Merel covertly, but then increasingly openly until they finally take action. The protagonist's growing desperation becomes more and more palpable.