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Oct 26, 2014WVMLStaffPicks rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This Norwegian novel is narrated by a man who is on the cusp of old age and facing big life questions. At 67, Petterson's protagonist, Trond, moves to a rustic cabin in an isolated part of Norway to live the rest of his life with quiet deliberation. A chance encounter with a neighbor, who happens to be the brother of his childhood friend Jon, waylays his plans and causes him to reflect back on the summer of 1948. That was the last season he spent with his adored father, who abandoned the family soon afterward.