The purchase of a large French wall clock at an auction marks the beginning of a turbulent adventure for the wealthy early retiree and widower Dr. Georg Zinnbeck: When it turns out that the piece once belonged to Bertrand Barère—the prosecutor of Louis XVI in the Convention of the French Revolution—Zinnbeck discovers a secret worth 20 million in the clock’s base. But that’s not all: a clever, vivacious young woman bursts into his orderly life, throwing his conservative routine into disarray and sparking drama, conflict, and jealousy—until the surprising resolution.

Thomas Persdorf was born in Leipzig, fled to West Germany at the age of 18, and studied veterinary medicine in Giessen and Vienna. In 1970, he opened a small animal practice in Mainz, followed by his own veterinary clinic in 1984. 

He has been publishing novels and short stories since 2007; “Zinnbeck’s Passions” is his sixth work.

The reading will be accompanied by modern and classical music performed by Cornelius Persdorf (piano) and Greta Mandler (flute).

Admission is free; donations are welcome.