Jacqueline Kornmüller transforms her memories of her grandmother into literature, telling the story of a strong, indomitable woman who takes happiness into her own hands – and simply refuses to let go.
“My grandmother was a passionate lottery player. That was because, as a child, she experienced poverty so bitter that, at the end of her life, she said to me: The kind of poverty I knew as a child should be banned.”
Bavaria, 1920s. At her first job, Lina is only allowed to scrub the copper kettles in the kitchen. But her fortunes soon shift, and through a back door she finds her way onto the stage of The Clausing – the UFA production company’s favorite hotel in the mountain spa town of Garmisch. There, Lina sees the comings and goings of the guests, the reception desk, and the fulfilling of wishes as an opportunity to escape the reality of her own life. Before long, a coincidence helps her open a small hotel of her own. Busy, fateful years follow. But when Lina fills out her lottery tickets on the veranda of her own hotel, she infects everyone with her unshakeable belief in luck.
