Anne B. Ragde has touched many hearts with her Neshov trilogy, where she deals with the clash between pulsating city life and an Norwegian country side. This was a theme she dealt with as early as 1997, in this critically acclaimed novel for young adults.
16 year old Tanja has moved out of the city with her mother and younger brother. She has been totally and utterly against this, but to no avail. In their new town lives Iver, the farmer’s son who hates being pushed into his father’s macho image. Iver dreams of becoming a photographer, a dream he keeps secret to his parents. Both Tanja and Iver long to get away from their own reality, but they are too young to decide for themselves. When they first meet they are deeply skeptical of each other. Both feel that the other represents what they despise the most. But gradually this turns into a love story …
At Close Range is a novel for young adults which can equally well be read by any adult who remembers the difficult years of youth, full of emotions and contrasts.