And by the Way, My Name is Leah

“An incredibly funny first novel about bad sex and… depression – how is that even possible? The story is about a young girl, Leah, who grows up in Oslo. Leah tries to find love wherever she can, on playgrounds, in grocery stores, in bars. And this is hilarious, sad and also utterly moving, because from time to time, Leah finds what she’s searching for. I read it in one sitting.”
One of three rising Norwegian writers to watch out for
-Ingvild Rishøi, author of “Brightly Shining” at Dua Lipa’s Service95 Book Club

Nominated for the 2025 Gullkroken Literary Prize

A punk on welfare met a Polish painter in a downtown bar and fucked him in her east end apartment block bedsit. That’s why Leah is alive.

Leah is the child of a one-night stand, and as if cursed, she is haunted by one-night stands. And this is a kind of story about them. Or maybe more of a rant. About relationships that are passed down and how we rarely talk about the class issue of LOVE.

And by the way, my name is Leah is a novel about terrible sex, bling-bling shoes and emergency contraception, about eating ice cream at Ikea, and about becoming the world’s best liar.

Not least, it is a novel about being a child and an adult at the same time.

And yes, about how insanely expensive love is.

Reviews

“a beautiful story about love, sex, friendship, family, and about loving yourself. Because can you really love others if you don’t love yourself?”
Sigrid Forbord Hoseth, Framtida, 6/6 stars

“A powerful debut novel about social inheritance. (…) Elida Karo has written a lively and excellent novel.”
Maria Årolilja Rø, Adresseavisen, 5/6 stars

“one of the most fearless novels I’ve read this year. (…) Tender, witty, and brimming with personality – everything we ask for by a debut.”
Mari Grydeland, Costume

“Bittersweet joy: Elida Karo depicts class with elegance”.
Klassekampen

“A punkish and energetic novel about tough living conditions and one-night stands. (…) Elida Karo (26) uses raw and direct literary devices to make it clear that your living conditions affect your love life, so that we understand how the protagonist’s childhood turmoil has disrupted her ability to connect with other people. (…) The breathless summary of events nevertheless comes across as credible, as a realistic portrayal of a hectic and chaotic young adult life, where no resources can be taken for granted. (…) And by the Way, My Name is Leah is punk hyperrealism, an unfiltered description of reality that feels rocking and real.”
Einar Aarvig, Aftenposten

Og forresten heter jeg Leah