In a small town on the Baltic coast, in a community steeped inmaritime industries and local mores, a teenager falls in love with hisEnglish professor. Christian looks older than his years, Stella youngerthan hers. The summer they spend together is filled with boat ridesto Bird Island, secret walks on the beach, and furtive glances. Theemotions that blossom between Christian and Stella are aflame withpassion and innocence, and with an idealistic hope of a future. Thetwo lovers manage to keep their mutual attraction concealed, butas the hot months comes to an end, their meetings become moredifficult to conceal.Stella begins at the end, at Stella Petersen's memorial service,where Christian relives the memories he shared with his first love.There is nothing salacious about their relationship, nor is it just a caseof a teenager's crush on his teacher. Their affair changes bothChristian and Stella, allows them to expand their views, and pushesthem out of social and familial constraints. Theirs is a tender lovestory of a time, and yet speaks to any time; it is actually throughdeath that their love is transformed.The sparseness of Siegfried Lenz's narrative is reminiscent of theexistential stringency of Ernest Hemingway. Only a master stylist ofhis standing could compose such a story that is equally modest andpowerful, a work that leaves a lasting authentic impression, and thatstrives to comply with W.H. Auden's famous request, ';Tell me the truth about love.'