The entirety of this rich, labyrinthian novel is told on a single day from within the steamy stone walls of Friedrichsbad, a spring-fed, Roman-style bathhouse on the edge of The Black Forest in the seemingly serene German village of Baden-Baden. The story, told in alternating chapters by two esoteric protagonists, follows the bathers as they follow each other from pool to pool through the seventeen distinct stages of the bathhouse. As the heat and dehydration intensifies so, too, does the narration, until hundreds of years of lascivious history bubble to the surface and are callously scrubbed away in this bold debut by newcomer Warren Hahn.
Originally released in 2013 and developed exclusively for the debut of Spruce Apothecary, a modern apothecary shop in Portland’s West End promenade Union Way, this beloved fragrance made limited appearances over years is now available exclusively in our Rare Book Room.
