Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Astrid & Veronika by Linda Olsson (2005)

I continue my exploration of Swedish authors. This was recommended at the airport bookstore, written by a Swedish author living in New Zealand. The cover photo of a handful of wild strawberries was compelling. One of those slow and deep books on the evolution of a friendship between two women. Veronika rents a house in a small village in Sweden next to Astrid, an old "witch". Over a years time they become friends, share secrets and sufferings, and bring joy back into each other's lives. This was originally written in English, so it doesn't lose anything in translation, and evokes an intimate feeling for Sweden and New Zealand.

No comments: