Overview

• Andrea Sawatzki’s novel “Biarritz” was published in August 2025 and centers on a mother-daughter relationship shaped by generational trauma.
• She says writing the book allowed her to confront her difficult relationship with her own mother and achieve self-acceptance as a parent.
• The protagonist’s portrayal of dementia draws directly from Sawatzki’s teenage experience caring for her Alzheimer’s-afflicted father.
• In early-August interviews she renewed her critique of Germany’s eldercare system, highlighting staffing shortages, low wages and limited progress since the 1970s.
• Sawatzki announced a Germany-wide reading tour starting in September to raise awareness of dementia and advocate for eldercare reform.