First published 2018
Karl Ove Knausgård awaits his daughter's birth during the cold months of winter. He writes her letters each day, preparing her for a world she has never seen. He describes the moon hanging in the sky, water flowing in streams, the mess that accumulates in daily life. He writes about owls hunting in darkness and the ritual of birthdays. Each ordinary thing becomes extraordinary as he imagines her seeing it for the first time. The earth sleeps under winter's grip while new life grows inside his partner. This contradiction fills him with both joy and sadness. He knows his daughter will soon open her eyes to discover faces, trees, lamps, pajamas, and shoes. These simple objects that he no longer notices will astound her. Through his daily meditations, Knausgård rediscovers wonder in the familiar world around him.
Genres: literary-fiction, family-life, memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Period: Winter
254 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press