Continuing where Reimann's earlier book of diaries, I Have No Regrets, left off, in 1964, this volume is a compelling and frank account of one woman’s life and loves in 1960s East Germany. It All Tastes of Farewell is a frank account of one woman’s life and loves in 1960s East Germany.As a writer, Brigitte Reimann could not help but tell a compelling story, and that is born out here in her diaries, which are gripping as any novel.She recorded only what mattered: telling details, emotional truths, and political realities.Never written for publication and first published in full in German only after the fall of the Berlin Wall, these diaries offer a unique record of what it felt like to live in a country that no longer exists, was represented for years largely through Cold War propaganda, and is still portrayed in fairy-tale Stasi dramas.Here we get a sense of lived experience as if Doris Lessing or Edna O’Brien had been allowed in with their nots.This volume continues where her earlier book of diaries, I Have No Regrets, left off, in 1964.It sees Reimann grow wistful and at times bitter, as her love life, her professional life, and her health all suffer.Yet throughout she retains a lively appetite for new experiences and a dedication to writing.Finally, she finds security in a surprising new love, and although she died soon after this volume ends, the novel she was writing was to become a much-read cult hit after her death. A remarkable document from a time and place that we still struggle to see clearly, It All Tastes of Farewell is unforgettable, a last gift from an essential writer.