The Second Greatest Love
Love and subtle differences
One day, Michelle, in her early thirties, leaves her stable and rather tranquil life in the east of Germany. She is looking for more excitement, more luxury. Luxury in general. And she finds Henry. A man who had a very different start in life to her, who has never wanted for anything. They fall in love, despite all their differences. For the first time, Michelle believes a carefree life is possible. But it wouldn’t be a novel by Ruth-Maria Thomas if all the beautiful certainties weren’t eventually shaken to their core ...
A novel that tackles the two great narratives of our time: the idea that everyone is the architect of their own fortune on the one hand, and the widespread experience of being at the mercy of circumstance on the other.
- A modern love story that shows how big and how small the divides in our society can be
- An intelligent and exciting novel about an unlikely love
- The author’s debut novel was on the SPIEGEL bestseller list for several weeks and has been sold into three languages so far
Ruth-Maria Thomas, born in 1993 and raised in Cottbus, worked as a social worker in youth welfare. She studied at the German Literature Institute in Leipzig. Her debut novel was nominated for the German Book Prize and won the Ulla Hahn Prize. In 2025, she hosted a radio podcast. ‘The Second Greatest Love’ is her second novel.
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