“A magnificent novel with local roots… First and foremost it is about lost love and the relationship that never was. But it is also about the rural versus the urban, the petty versus the magnanimous, the deceitful versus the faithful – all these themes collide in an irresistible flood of a story.”
Fædrelandsvennen

“A wonderful puzzle of a wasted life. Mirjam Kristensen uses her brilliant command of language to piece together a life. Through her carefully considered writing, she gives a voice to those who are not often heard… Kristensen writes about great love and the brutal coincidences that prevented the two lovers from being together… a memorable novel. Her respect for elderly people, who all have a story to tell, shines through in this novel so that as well as being enthralled by a tragic story of love and betrayal, we are reminded how important it is to look after people’s stories – even those that rarely see the light of day.”
NRK P2

“a powerful story written in an unpretentious yet refined literary style… one of this year’s best books… the book is so gripping that when I started reading it I had to take breaks between each short chapter… A lot about this novel reminds me of Tiller’s Encirclement trilogy… it is so incredibly good and precisely written. Kristensen shows us that not only does she have a lot of insight into history and the human psyche, but also a strong sense of style where simple words often pack a greater punch than complex words… The book is both compassionate and powerful, just like the strong people who fought for compassionate values during the war. I hope that this will mark Kristensen’s breakthrough to a wider audience, because this book is a gift to all those with an interest in the Second World War and in getting to grips with our ordinary yet overwhelming lives.”
Dag og Tid

“A well composed love story. Mirjam Kristensen’s new novel links world history and our own time… the book breathes life into the romance novel… I was immediately enthralled by both the flawless composition and the theme… With this book Mirjam Kristensen proves that a familiar motif and romantic theme still work well in the romance genre.”Vårt Land

“Her earlier work was characterised by consciousness of form and subtle stylistic attention to detail; this year’s book is a very well composed text in which layer upon layer of the story slowly unfolds in a way that now perhaps more than ever before is open to sensitivity and empathy… In Kristensen’s light, fine-polished prose, important insights are treated with great authority.”
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