First published 2010
Arvid Jansen sits at thirty-seven with his marriage falling apart. The divorce papers feel heavy in his hands as autumn settles over Norway in 1989. Then his mother calls with news that stops everything cold: cancer. The world shifts around him in ways both personal and political. Communism collapses across Europe while his own life crumbles at home. His mother faces treatment and an uncertain future. His wife becomes a stranger. The routines that once anchored his days no longer hold. Over several intense days that fall, Arvid moves through a landscape where nothing stays the same. He searches for solid ground as everything he counted on transforms beyond recognition. The external upheaval mirrors his internal chaos. He must rebuild his understanding of what matters while caring for his mother and accepting the end of his marriage. This is a story about finding your footing when the ground keeps shifting beneath you.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, personal-growth, social-commentary
Setting: Norway
Period: 1989
317 pages · Paperback · Kennebec Large Print
Content warnings: depression