The Okapi's Dream

A small village wakes up to a bad omen: Selma dreamed of an okapi. Or, every time Selma dreams of this strange animal – a mix between a giraffe, a zebra, a tapir, and a deer – someone dies the next day.

Her granddaughter, Luise, observes with her best friend Martin how everyone makes their arrangements, in anticipation of the worst. There's the optician, secretly in love with Selma, who is finally about to declare his feelings;

Elsbeth, Selma's sister-in-law, who prefers to confess her secrets; Peter, Luise's father, who wants to go explore the world, on the advice of his therapist, while his wife has been wondering for five years if she should leave him.

But no one could anticipate the tragedy that would strike them...

Translated from German by Céline Maurice.

Review from La Librairie du Grimoire Ancien

Mariana Leky's The Dream of the Okapi is a rare and delicate ensemble novel, blending magical realism and village chronicle with particular grace. Published by JC Lattès and translated by Céline Maurice, this German bestseller has captivated millions of readers with its ability to transform everyday life into a philosophical tale.

At the heart of the story is Selma, whose premonitory dreams of an okapi herald death. This strange gift becomes the catalyst for a profound reflection on finitude, the passage of time, and how we choose to live our last moments. Leky skillfully orchestrates a ballet of endearing characters — the enamored optician, Elsbeth and her secrets, Peter in search of freedom — who, faced with impending tragedy, reveal their true nature.

Leky's writing, imbued with tender humor and luminous melancholy, evokes the world of Amélie Nothomb or David Foenkinos. This novel deeply resonates with the themes of the Grimoire Ancien: the gift of clairvoyance, premonitions, the porous border between the real and the marvelous, and the wisdom that arises from accepting destiny. A moving and luminous read that reminds us that life is fully revealed when we are conscious of its fragility.

— La Librairie du Grimoire Ancien