The Case of the Caprice of Lost Time by Rune Christiansen, translated by Kari Dickson

From the acclaimed Norwegian author of The Loneliness in Lydia Erneman’s Life comes an absorbing and intimate novel about the unearthing of family secrets.

Two months following her mother’s death, Norma travels alone to visit her father, Torsten, with whom she has had a strained relationship since her parents divorced. Recently separated herself, Norma is at a crossroads in life and desperate to get away for a while. She views the chance to visit Torsten on the island where he now lives in the family’s idyllic old summer home as a much-needed retreat.

From the moment Norma steps off the ferry, a series of mysterious things begin to happen. While standing on the quay waiting for her father to pick her up, Norma sees the silhouette of a horseback rider under a twisted tree on a hillside. After an unknown woman visits Torsten in the middle of the night, it becomes increasingly clear to Norma that her evasive father is hiding something from her. Norma interprets each of the strange happenings on the island as a sign and begins looking for answers to better understand herself and how her life has unfolded. With her beloved mother gone, only her emotionally distant father can provide them—unless the truth lies within herself.

Written in lush, sumptuous prose, Rune Christiansen has crafted an exquisite story about one woman’s search for independence, freedom, and a sense of belonging.