“An absorbing novel … The three stories are so powerful because the author portrays the love between the two so beautifully, and the uncertainty about what is happening … throughout, it is the relationship between Toril and Ole that takes centre stage, and it is so poignantly beautiful, amidst all the misery”
6/6 stars, Emil Otto Syvertsen, Fædrelandsvennen
“Refreshingly unpretentious and direct about important matters. She is not afraid to venture into areas that smell a little of the burnt and to break down taboos … a kind of brutal comfort read. It is easy to read, fearless, offers insights, and dwells on the desperation that sets in when the burden of responsibility is too heavy, freedom is restricted and help is inadequate.”
5/6 stars, Maya Troberg Djuve, Dagbladet
“A courageous and challenging exploration of a moral dilemma … Dementia, divorce and a longing for love and intimacy are woven together in a story that shows just how many conflicting reactions and emotions arise when life falls apart. Baugstø manages, with great empathy, to convey how Toril’s feelings oscillate between frustration and anger – and tenderness for the man he once was … a powerful and moving story.”
Vigdis Moe Skarstein, Adresseavisen
“Money, betrayal and the responsibility of care are central to Line Baugstø’s multifaceted divorce novel … The tone of the novel otherwise ranges from the witty and slightly cheeky cheerfulness – which Baugstø has previously demonstrated she masters to the full – through the intensely insistent to a raw, both tender and direct style that comes most clearly to the fore when dealing with loneliness, the body, sex and illness.”
Janneken Øverland, Klassekampen
“The path from orgasm to a care home is disturbingly short in Line Baugstø’s new novel about divorce … Despite her abrupt demand for a divorce, Toril is a warmer and more hopeful character than her predecessor [in Evil Grandma]. … The despair of being unable to break free or help the man she no longer knows is convincingly portrayed.”
Mari Grydeland, Aftenposten
“Baugstø switches skilfully between tragedy and comedy as she depicts life as a carer. Toril’s many desperate encounters with the System border on the theatre of the absurd”
Ellen Sofie Lauritzen, NRK
