In 'The Noise of Life,' actor Jörg Hartmann captivatingly recounts his own story and those of his parents and grandparents. It's a love letter to the power of family—and to the Ruhr region. Whether he's writing about his deaf grandparents' experiences under National Socialism, his mother's wisdom as she briefly ran a chip shop, his father's dementia (he was a lathe operator and passionate handball player), the many quirky experiences within his extended family, or pivotal encounters he had as an actor—Hartmann always maintains a balance between tragedy and comedy. Powerful, personal, touching, and humorous, he tells his story and asks: Why do we always return to our roots? Above all, he seeks to grasp the cycle of life: parents and children, beginning and end, departure and arrival, becoming and passing away—everything that belongs to the beloved noise of life. A wise, story-rich book about origins and home—and the desire to break free and venture out into the world. A sentimental education and, incidentally, a history of the mentality of the Federal Republic of Germany. New product