In Vienna, a famous writer comes home on his birthday and finds a long letter, with no name or address. A woman tells him her life story: she has loved him since she was thirteen, since the day he moved into the flat opposite hers. Over the years he has met her many times, without ever recognising her.
Who is this unknown woman, and why is she writing to him now? This short story by Stefan Zweig is one of the most beautiful tales of unrequited love.
Written like a confession, in a single voice, it can be read in one sitting in the language you are learning.
