‘Almost Everything Very Fast’: Tale of family secrets is a must-read

I devoured Christopher Kloeble's 'Almost Everything Very Fast' in large, delicious chunks. Kloeble, an award-winning German author who was in residence in the University of Iowa's International Writing Program, has written a story of family secrets that reads like a fairy tale, complete with the darkness essential to such tales.

Translated by Aaron Kerner, 'Almost Everything Very Fast' is the story of Albert, a 19-year-old who cares for his mentally disabled father and longs to know who his mother is. The narrative shifts back and forth from Albert's contemporary tale to stories from the first half of the 20th century, the latter of which are, of course, deeply colored by two World Wars.

Albert's father, Fred, is the shining soul at the center of the story. Facing death, but unable to truly comprehend many of the details of his life, Fred is nevertheless hopeful and kind. Kloeble doesn't render him as merely a one-note character for the other actors to swirl around. Nor is Fred a stereotypical wise fool. His relationship with Albert is layered, filled with challenges as well as joys. It's an unusual and deeply affecting portrayal of a father and a son.

Kloeble's plot is complex and often takes readers in unexpected directions, but he skillfully brings everything back together, highlighting the ways in which the past lays the foundation for the present. Moments of darkness — personal and societal — punctuate the story while relationships of types both traditional and forbidden (as well as loving and lopsided) drive the narrative.

'Almost Everything Very Fast' is enormously satisfying and should find a place on your reading list very soon.

Book reading

What: Christopher Kloeble reads from 'Almost Everything Very Fast'

Where: Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City

When: 7 p.m. Monday

Cost: Free