Life in the Fast Lane, Glitz, and Dreams on the 18th Floor
Aspirations of a Lifetime on the 18th Level
By Solveig Bach
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Meet Wanda, Ming, Esther, and Aylin's mother—all neighbors in a swanky high-rise. Their men folk don't exactly swoop in and out, and they've got children relying on them. But Wanda hasn't lost hope; she's haven't given up on her Hollywood career yet.
Wanda's a bit of a hot mess — no degree, but a kid. Not great for an acting career, huh? The rundown apartment in that swanky high-rise, actually her uncle's, feels like a dead-end.
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Wanda refuses to give up. Life's got to have more in store for her and her five-year-old Karlie than just the daily grind on the 18th floor—with trash, mold, food smells, and money worries. And suddenly, her agent calls, and she could score a flick role. Everything's about to change—she'd ditch the moldy apartment, and say bye to the other women who've long since stopped dreaming.
But her timing could use a little work. Karlie's fallen victim to an ear infection, right as Wanda's set to seal the deal with the producer at an upscale bar. A worry every parent faces — that momentary lapse in control that haunts us all.
Life's Balance teeters
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It's a miracle the high-class bar with its posh grub feels like a fever dream now, alongside Karlie's hallucinations on the 18th floor's shabby couch. Instead of red-carpet premieres, Wanda finds herself chatting with other single moms in the high-rise courtyard. They've little in common, yet they rally together.
Karlie's infection turns nasty, evolving into life-threatening meningitis. Film roles and famous suitors like Adam Ezra are forgotten in the face of Karlie's health crisis. After weeks at the hospital, the role is lost, but not the contact with Adam.
A new opportunity arises, and Wanda seizes it, holding on hopeful for success. Will Karlie and Wanda leave the high-rise and find a better life? Sara Gmür doesn't give us that answer in her second novel, affecting her characters in much the same way.
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The Swiss-born author, who cut her literary teeth on rap and songwriting, has spun a novel that reads like a Netflix series script in many places. Descriptive passages mix with sharp dialogue, Wanda's thoughts intermingle with the harsh reality of life in Berlin and glimpses of the film industry.
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From Paris Bar to swanky film shoots, great divides appear where wealth and power are paradoxically ogled in a nearly obscene manner. Just a few S-Bahn stops away, the women of the high-rise, including Wanda, Ming, Esther, and Aylin's mother, find just enough glitz and glamour in their lives. With no backup from their children's dads, minimal funds, and always teetering on the brink of poverty in their precarious lives, these women face steep challenges. To succeed, they band together, supporting each other while also relying on their utterly selfish instincts. Such is the nature of survival communities.
Gmür delivers this narrative from a powerfully female perspective—open, honest, and affectionate. Perhaps she slips now and then into hackneyed expressions, but that endears her to us. As Wanda says at the outset, "Maid's tales only work in hindsight." That goes for all of us struggling on the 18th floor.
Sources: ntv.de
- Single Motherhood
- Literature
- Berlin
- Gentrification
- Wanda, despite her circumstances, continues to follow the community policy of pursuing her Hollywood career, hoping for a change from the daily grind on the 18th floor.
- Amidst the fashion-and-beauty of high-class bars and the glamour of film industry, Wanda finds solace in relationships with other single mothers in her home-and-garden, the high-rise courtyard.
- As she navigates through the challenges of single motherhood and the precarious lifestyle in the high-rise, Wanda learns the importance of personal-growth, relying on her own instincts and the support of her fellow neighbors.
- While exploring themes of education-and-self-development, Sara Gmür's novel delves into the stark contrasts between the wealth and power of high-class bars and gentrified neighborhoods, and the struggling lives of the women in the high-rise.
- In the novel, Wanda reflects on the concept of shopping as a means of self-improvement, comparing it to her initial dreams of Hollywood stardom and the luxury items she's been able to acquire through her new opportunities.
- Amidst the entertainment provided by elaborate Paris Bar parties and film shoots, Wanda discovers that building a supportive community, based on honest relationships and mutual trust, is the key to success and personal growth.
