shopping cart
Call us:  800-878-7323 HELP
McAfee SECURE helps keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams.
Original Essays | October 18, 2009

Victoria Hislop: IMG From Leprosy to Lorca — Strange Inspiration



My first novel, The Island, was inspired by a chance visit to a tiny island leper colony off the coast of Greece on our summer holiday. It was a... Continue »
  1. $10.49 Sale Trade Paper add to wish list

    The Return

    Victoria Hislop

Ships free on qualified orders.
Add to Cart
$9.50
List price: $14.00
Used Trade Paper
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Qty Store Section
20 Burnside Literature- A to Z
4 Hawthorne Literature- A to Z
4 Local Warehouse Literature- A to Z

Astrid and Veronika

by Linda Olsson

Astrid and Veronika Cover

ISBN13: 9780143038078
ISBN10: 0143038079
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

Staff Pick

This book is a knock-out. But what a gentle punch. In the face of their personal losses, a friendship slowly and intimately develops between two women on a quiet plot of land near a small town in Sweden. This is a truly absorbing read that is sure to bring tears and great personal revelations.
Recommended by Danielle, Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

With extraordinary emotional power, Linda Olsson's stunningly well-crafted debut novel recounts the unusual and unexpected friendship that develops between two women. Veronika, a young writer from New Zealand, rents a house in a small Swedish village as she tries to come to terms with a recent tragedy while also finishing a novel. Her arrival is silently observed by Astrid, an older, reclusive neighbor who slowly becomes a presence in Veronika's life, offering comfort in the form of companionship and lovingly prepared home-cooked meals. Set against a haunting Swedish landscape, Astrid and Veronika is a lyrical and meditative novel of love and loss, and a story that will remain with readers long after the characters' secrets are revealed.

Review:

"In Swedish novelist Olsson's somber debut, Veronika Bergman returns to Sweden after a childhood following her diplomat father around the world (her mother abandoned the family), and after publishing her first novel titled Single, One Way, No Luggage. She rents a small house in a rural town to work on her second, but in solitude finds herself seized by feverish dreams and paralyzed by the 'stillness' of the landscape and the memories of her recently dead fianc. Reclusive septuagenarian Astrid Mattson, thought by the village to be a witch, takes an interest in Veronika, and the two strike up a friendship based on loss. Against the backdrop of the changing seasons and their small, plangent houses, the two women slowly tell each other their most closely guarded secrets (which concern their mothers and lovers), and venture, tentatively, out of the safety of their routines. Olsson has a clear feel for the emotional wellsprings of both characters, but can't convert her terse lyricism into a fully realized story." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Not only impossible to put down, but impossible to forget." Canvas (New Zealand)

Review:

"Linda Olsson unravels... each woman's story... gradually revealing their grief and loss.... This a subtle but powerful novel, tender and poignant." The Dominion Post (New Zealand)

Synopsis:

With extraordinary emotional power, Olsson's stunningly well-crafted debut novel recounts the unusual and unexpected friendship that develops between two women. Set against a haunting Swedish landscape, this is a lyrical and meditative novel of love and loss.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 4 comments:
cronechristine, September 5, 2008 (view all comments by cronechristine)
What a wonderful book! Sometimes when I finish a book, I read the first chapter again, but with this one I think I'll continue and read the whole novel again. It's so poetic and lovely.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
Barbara Stone, July 29, 2008 (view all comments by Barbara Stone)
What a gem. I didn't want this book to end, but even the ending was perfect.

Linda Olsson has written a small novel of amazing depth and beauty. Things are described in simple yet profound ways, much in the same style as the conversation between the two characters. Both Astrid and Veronika are in pain, and both thought that isolation was the only way of dealing with it. When they find each other, though, a similar chord is struck in each and they piece together a friendship and trust slowly and methodically. Each has a story to tell which comes out slowly and in small bits, and each story will break your heart. But each story also makes each woman who she is--strong, loving and beautiful.

This is a book about connection and transformation. It is beautifully written and will stay with me forever.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(4 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
AstraeaBeauty, May 25, 2008 (view all comments by AstraeaBeauty)
Everything flows gently in this debut novel by Author Linda Olsson. Translated from the original Swedish text, "Astrid and Veronika" is a compelling read which haunts the reader for days afterward. The story is of two women and the internal struggles they face and the journey of overcoming lost past traumas. I randomly picked up this small novel and probably held onto it for a week before I decided to leaf through it. What I found, was a delightful surprise. Fresh and powerful in its storytelling, this is definately an author to keep your eye's on.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(3 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
View all 4 comments

Product Details

ISBN:
9780143038078
Author:
Olsson, Linda
Publisher:
Penguin Books
Subject:
General
Subject:
Literary
Publication Date:
February 2007
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
259
Dimensions:
7.70x5.28x.53 in. .42 lbs.

Other books you might like

  1. $5.00 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    Valentines: Stories

    Olaf Olafsson
  2. $9.95 Used Hardcover add to wish list
  3. $7.95 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    Suite Francaise: A Novel

    Irene Nemirovsky
  4. $9.50 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    The Echo Maker

    Richard Powers
  5. $9.50 Used Trade Paper add to wish list
  6. $5.95 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    The Translator

    Leila Aboulela

Related Aisles

  • back to top

Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.