About the Book

Olja is a translator living in Vienna. One day, Gerhard, a visiting professor, quite literally walks into her life in the middle of the street and turns her world upside down. The promise of new love draws Olja to Berlin, where Gerhard has returned, but something in Vienna prevents her from simply leaving: her teenage son Nadan, an astronomy student who is no ordinary child. Olja has to cook and do laundry for him, and she can only sleep peacefully at night when she knows that Nadan is in the next room, safe in his bed. Damir, Nadan’s father, has remained in Ljubljana, leaving Olja’s life stretched between Berlin, Vienna, and Ljubljana.

The Rustle of the Cherry Tree is a novel about complex family ties, parenthood, romantic relationships, love, and, above all, belonging. Through remarkably vivid and multifaceted characters, Goran Vojnović masterfully explores what makes us good parents, how we build lasting relationships, and what truly connects us. Ultimately, he reveals how these very bonds often suffocate us rather than make us stronger.