“The Turncoat is a brilliant novel, adding an impressive work to Lenz’s output and thus to German postwar literature.”

“While the novel was way ahead of the curve in 1951, today it is immensely relevant. Nationalist tendencies are on the rise all over the globe, the desire for strong leaders and simple answers to complex questions is more and more prevalent. The Turncoat deals with issues that are highly urgent today; therefore, it is a novel ripe for adaptation. Lenz has succeeded in facing these complex questions of guilt and responsibility on a deeply human level. He tells this through the viewpoint of his characters so we can not only relate to and understand their emotions but live through them as well.”

“Never has the aftermath [of World War II] for Germans been better depicted than in Siegfried Lenz’s elegiac, The Turncoat. A newly discovered masterpiece.”

“Memorable…Lenz’s meaningful exploration of loyalty owed to one’s country and family is packed with thrills and chills.”

“The Turncoat is eerily relevant and addresses the challenges we face in America with the rise of authoritarianism and white supremacy. Our hero Walter’s tale of love and adventure upends the tropes of war literature to brilliant effect. Siegfried Lenz’s prose combines grinding realism with bravura cinematic flourish.”

“Compelling in its message, evocative in its prose, The Turncoat is the sad story of mindless cruelty and chaos in war—and of one soldier who flees evil. This is a book you’ll find disturbing, but won’t be able to put down.”