Rust and Bone by Dietrich Kalteis - ISBN: 9781770418509
Paperback
War-torn youth fight for survival amid Ukraine and Berlin’s chaos.

Rust and Bone

A Novel

$30.58

  • Paperback

    300 pages

  • Release Date

    28 May 2026

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Summary

Part coming-of-age story and part family drama, set against the harsh backdrop of World War II Ukraine and Germany.

In the winter of 1945, a German village deep inside Ukraine burns under Russian assault. Young Jakob Fritsch, torn from his family, is forced onto a cattle car bound for a work camp where death looms. When a Stuka’s bomb derails the train, Jakob escapes the smoking wreckage alongside two untrustworthy survivors. They forge through snow-laden wilderness, hunted by soldier…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781770418509
ISBN-10:1770418504
Author:Dietrich Kalteis
Publisher:ECW Press,Canada
Imprint:ECW Press,Canada
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:300
Release Date:28 May 2026
Weight:246g
Dimensions:140mm x 216mm
A-Format
B-Format
Rust and Bone by Dietrich Kalteis - ISBN: 9781770418509
140 × 216 mm
C-Format
A4
mm / in
What They're Saying

Critics Review

“Atmospheric and absorbing, the novel reveals the resilience of ordinary people during extraordinary times.” — Toronto Star
“Highly recommended.” — Historical Novel Society
“Kalteis has crafted a propulsive historical page-turner that manages to be both heartbreaking and breathtaking as it cuts deep into the horrors experienced by civilians caught in the chaotic collapse of Hitler’s fever dream. He is unflinching in his portrayal of both the brutality and banality of Nazism, as well as the ice cold randomness of war as it impacts people on all sides. Rust and Bone is a clear-eyed exploration of the depths and the heights the human spirit can achieve.” — Philipp Schott, author of The Willow Wren
“Dietrich Kalteis’s Rust and Bone is a masterful work of art. The story takes place in Germany, in the bleak winter of 1945, where we follow the families who suffered through the brutal end of World War II. Kalteis’s ability to vividly paint the emotional lives of his characters pulls the reader into their personal stories of pain and loss. Their ultimate strength and love of family keep them alive and moving forward during the fall of the Nazis’ reign of terror and grip on the world. Rust and Bone is an incredible read.” — John Lansing, bestselling author of the Jack Bertolino Series

About The Author

Dietrich Kalteis

Dietrich Kalteis is the winner of the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Crime Novel for Under an Outlaw Moon. Acclaimed by critics and readers in Canada and abroad, he is the prolific author of 13 novels, two of which won Independent Publisher Awards. Kalteis enjoys life with his family on Canada’s beautiful West Coast, in West Vancouver, British Columbia.

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