Oh, to be drawn to someone inexplicably. Oh, to feel young and magical. Or, be young and magical? This book was a masterpiece in writing young characters. It captured the whimsy of the cusp of adolescence while immersing you in a beautiful world. It was a great piece of grief and how it shapes us, and how we change with it.

I really enjoyed this as a friendship between two girls and how the story worked together to tell the story it needed to. I enjoyed getting into the world and how the characters worked together to tell the storyline. It was a great read and enjoyed how good Tarjei Vesaas wrote this.

Grateful to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC!

Siss is 11 and fascinated by Unn, the new girl in her class who has moved to the district to live with her aunt following the death of her mother. Despite overtures of friendship from the group, Unn holds herself apart from the other students until Siss breaks through to her. Unn invites Siss to visit her house one evening after school and they spend a largely uneventful, but awkward time together. The next morning, Unn skips school and is never seen again. After the search fails to find her, Siss holds herself apart from her classmates in a promise to ensure Unn is not forgotten.

This was a compact and lyrical story about the ways in which grief can hold us apart from the people in our lives. The prose is beautiful and reflective and the Norwegian winter landscape setting is as much a character as any in the book. This was absolutely lovely and incredibly moving.