Witches and birdwatchers, novel. Published by Cappelen Damm, September 2020. 

 

About the book:

Ragna Emanualsen got pregnant at a young age, and never had time to find out what she wanted to do with her life. Ragna and her football-trainer husband Rune, the local hero, have drifted apart. What’s more, she’s becoming increasingly convinced he’s keener on men than women. Everyday life is turning into a predictable routine of children and husband. An absurd coincidence convinces Ragna that she has healing powers, and she signs up for a group tour led by a shaman to Vardø, one of the world’s most powerful energy points.

Tor Hellebust is longing for a break from his everyday life. His relationship with his wife Frida has cooled to the point that they’re seeing a couples councelor. Every day, Tor visits his senile mother at the nursing home, where he desperately tries to revive her memories. When he, being a passionate birdwatcher, gets wind of a group tour to Vardø on an internet forum, he spies a chance to cross an extremely rare species, the cattle egret, off his observation list.

In Vardø, tensions build between the two groups, which are both very serious about their passions.