We both knew what happened

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We both knew it was what happened (original title: The Simple Gift ) is a youth novel in verse form by the Australian writer Steven Herrick. It tells a light, poetic story to fall in love with. Herrick negotiates topics such as first love, friendship and family.

We both knew it was what happened was published in German by Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag in 2016 and in English by Simon Pulse Books in 2000 . It was translated into German by Uwe-Michael Gutzschhahn .

The press writes about the novel: "'We both knew it was what happened' tells a very nice story for in between, which makes you think and teaches a lot of wisdom" ( LizzyNet ), "Despite the touching happy ending, the scarcity of Herrick's lyrical language removes any sentimentality «( Süddeutsche Zeitung ) and» It's a beautifully told “First Love” story [...] - great literature for me «( Deutschlandfunk ).

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In verse, Steven Herrick tells the story of three people, sixteen-year-old Billy, the homeless Old Bill and seventeen-year-old Caitlin. The characters take turns speaking and their respective monologues drive the story forward. Each character describes from their point of view how they get to know each other, get closer and ultimately save each other.

Chapter 1 - 3

Sixteen year old Billy decides to leave his alcoholic and violent father and run away from home. However, the plan to hitchhike does not work, and Billy is literally in the rain. When he spots a passing freight train with a protective speed boat on it, Billy jumps up without further ado. After he is discovered as a stowaway, the friendly train driver Ernie lets him ride in the escort car to Bendarat.

When he arrives in Bendarat after a surprisingly pleasant journey, Billy first goes to the library. It is warm and dry there and the librarian is very kind to him. After spending the whole day reading, he decides to spend the night in an old carriage at the train station. The next evening, when Billy runs out of food, he sits down at McDonald’s and eats the leftovers that guests have left behind at the tables.

That same evening he meets Caitlin for the first time. The seventeen-year-old girl works at McDonald's to be more independent from her parents. She watches Billy as he eats the others' food. Instead of whistling at Billy to her boss, she lets him enjoy his dinner in peace.

Billy begins to feel comfortable in Bendarat. Every morning he runs to the surrounding orchard and steals pears and apples for breakfast. He sits down at McDonald's every night, and he and Caitlin are slowly becoming friends. One day Billy gives her a slip of paper with the address of the car in which he lives.

Chapter 4 - 7

Billy meets Old Bill. This tells Billy that he always sleeps in the next door car. Billy brings him cereal with milk for breakfast, but it's too early for Old Bill and he snaps at Billy.

Every other day Billy comes to the river in Bendarat to wash himself and his clothes.

One evening Catlin decides to visit Billy after work. She packs up food and drink and goes to the address Billy gave her. The two get along very well and increasingly begin to like each other.

Old Bill apologizes to Billy for his whims and tells him about a job in a canning factory. Because he still feels guilty despite this, he goes there with him every Monday morning to work. But soon he is annoyed by work, by Billy and his morning breakfast.

When Billy receives his first salary, he ponders what to do with it. Without further ado, he buys an emerald ring, which he lays ready in his car. A little later, while having dinner at McDonald's every evening, Caitlin takes Billy out for a picnic. There the two get closer and closer.

Meanwhile, Old Bill tells his moving story: In 1993, his ten-year-old daughter Jessie fell from a tree and fell into a coma. After what seemed endless, he and his wife switched off the life-support devices. A year later, on the same day, his wife died in a car accident. Old Bill left his house forever and has lived next to Billy in the car since then. Old Bill and Billy become good friends. He tells Billy about his past and the house he owns. They eat breakfast together every morning and sometimes go to the river together to wash.

Billy picks Caitlin up at McDonald's after her shift and brings her home, and Caitlin is happy. One day, Caitlin's parents decide to leave for the weekend and Caitlin invites Billy over to their home.

When Caitlin goes to Billy to tell him her parents are away, she spots him and Old Bill at their morning breakfast. Seeing the well-behaved boy Billy with a homeless man like Old Bill confuses her and so she runs away without showing herself. But she begins to feel increasingly ashamed of her thoughts and decides to go to Billy again. She invites him and Old Bill to dinner at her home.

It's a pleasant evening. Billy and Caitlin talk a lot and Old Bill listens to them. After a while, he says goodbye and goes home.

Billy is staying at Caitlin's and the two are sleeping together for the first time.

The evening has also changed something for Old Bill and Billy's influence on him becomes more and more evident in the following days: For the first time it is Old Bill who goes next door and brings breakfast. He also decides to drink less in the future.

Chapters 8-9

One day Billy is stopped by the police on the street and asked about his life situation. However, they don't believe the lies he tells them. Billy is supposed to go to a social worker the same day. They warn him what will happen if Billy misses the appointment and they meet him back in town.

Billy doesn't want to go to the social welfare office , nor does he want to have to leave town. He tells Old Bill about his dilemma and he has a plan: He wants to officially rent his house to Billy. He goes to his former home, mows the lawn and tells the neighbors that a young man will soon be moving in there. Then he gets clean clothes and meets with Billy in a cafe. He tells him about his plan to play a story for the welfare office and let Billy move into his house. The plan works: After the successful visit to the social welfare office, Old Bill and Billy go to Billy's future home together. They sit on the porch and talk, but don't go inside because Billy knows that Old Bill couldn't take it.

Billy later goes to McDonald's to meet Caitlin, but doesn't tell her about the house yet. The two meet the next afternoon, and Billy shows Caitlin his new home. Only then does Billy tell the whole story and together they enter the house for the first time.

Chapters 10-11

Old Bill thinks of his daughter's school project on the Great Barrier Reef and his promise to take her there. He is wondering whether he should make this trip to the north of Australia now. After taking in the house, Billy and Caitlin clean the rooms and set up. They cook dinner, listen to Old Bill's records, and dance around the living room. Later, when they are both in bed, Billy gives Caitlin the ring he bought with his first salary. Although Billy has a new home, he promises himself to visit his car once a week. He and Old Bill continue to meet, and at one of those meetings, Old Bill tells him about his plan to hop on freight trains and travel north. They say goodbye with a few words and Billy looks after his companion.

Literary criticism

We both knew it was what happened and received an overall positive response from the press. The Art. 5 / III said, '' We both knew it was what happened 'is looking really Significant in the little things, putting it dead right "(Art 5 / III.). The BuchMarkt liked that "[this text] opens up a cosmos of life full of poetry and rhythmic elegance" (BuchMarkt). The book journal stated: "This novel knows no genre boundaries: 'We both knew it was what happened', told in verse and quite unsentimentally about the search for happiness, self-determination and love" (book journal).

Nominations and Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ We both knew it was what happened LizzyNet, July 4, 2016 (accessed December 15, 2016)
  2. ↑ Book tips from SZ - What should I read in summer? Süddeutsche Zeitung, July 17, 2016 (accessed December 15, 2016)
  3. ↑ Press comments 'We both knew what happened' Art. 5 / III (accessed on December 15, 2016)
  4. ↑ Press comments 'We both knew what happened' BuchMarkt (accessed on December 15, 2016)
  5. ↑ Press comments 'We both knew it was what happened' book journal (accessed on December 15, 2016)
  6. ↑ The 7 best books for young readers in August on the Deutschlandfunk website of August 6, 2016, accessed on December 19, 2016.
  7. ↑ Book of the month September 2016 on the pages of akademie-kjl.de, accessed on December 19, 2016.