Lindstrøm is a superb observer of the many paradoxical expressions of sorrow, and in this year’s novel, she has refined this form… Stylistic elegance combined with a sharp psychological insight once again demonstrates that Merethe Lindstrøm belongs to a literary elite.”
Turid Larsen, Dagsavisen

“Outstanding … Lindstrøm seemingly never falters in her literary conviction… The novel is exquisitely written by this former winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize, with a highly effective narrative point of view … Lindstrøm has once again delivered a very good literary text that articulates relationships, upbringing, sexuality, violence, and trauma, where much is implied between the lines, but, of course, it is not true, as everything between the lines is, after all, on them.”
Ingvild Bræin, Dag og Tid

“A very good novel… Lindstrøm achieves what she sets out to do: to captivate the reader from the first sentence… There are no randomly chosen words, no arbitrary combinations in Lindstrøm’s work. Everything is carefully considered. Every sentence precisely constructed, with exactly the right words to evoke feelings and thoughts in the reader… Lindstrøm sings dark and melancholic, but also beautifully and clearly, in ‘When We Sing.'”
Gerd Elin Stava Sandve, NRK

“Heartbreaking… a poignant lament over a dead infant. ‘When We Sing’ – the title carries the mark of light optimism – is a well-crafted story about grief, as children may experience it… The underlying tone is both painful and beautiful… in Lindstrøm’s refined language and consistency in the childish worldview, the result is vibrantly beautiful.”
Inger Bentzrud, Dagbladet