Summer time – the best time to dive in to books world.
Long sunny afternoons with the book in your hands is not only a pleasure, but also useful entertainment. Let’s develop our fantasy by diving into the books world and just for the one time leave TV shut down. I am offering to read Anne B. Ragde “Berlin poplars“ in which author from the first lines brings into one family life story maelstrom by telling one secret by another. When showed this novel trilogy, number of sold copies it outturned even Da Vinci Code.
From the first pages
Short moments, glances and timid steps from two people life. From the first pages of the novel brings you in and doesn’t let go. Little fragments of story induce curiosity and make you to apply yourself to extraneous experience so, that after finishing this book you feel like real book characters family member. Few moments and circumstances predetermined acts determines not only two people who fell in love unexpected, but also two generations after them fates. “She was standing in front of porch for sheltering vessels and squeezed hand in apron pockets, – if only someone will accompany him as it was happened before. After all, nobody would think that trip to the sea is something else, not only trip to the sea and they could conceive to accompany him. But if he would come not alone and they would find her here she would explain that she just wanted to scoop fresh water from fjord to salt the herrings. She has taken a bucket just for that if she will have to make excuses.“
Action of novel is monotonic, calm, “Norwegian“. Scandinavian images and feelings descriptions are pleasant for reader eyes and fantasy. Story develops calm, little by little are revealing more and more interesting family story details. The unvarnished reality, sad details with tasteful humor. In the last pages of book it looks like everything is clear and solved, got acquainted and said good bye… However author in the last pages of book reveals the most important and shocking secret that makes all story to take a whole different meaning. But I will not tell you it, you will have to read it by yourself.
Berlin poplars
Plot of the story looks non-exceptional at all – Norway, Christmas is coming , mother of three sons becomes seriously ill. Tree grownup man after whose last meeting a lot of water has flowed, they gather to say good bye to dying mother. They all are not young anymore and have very different fates – eldest son Turas manages the family farm, his rearing and beloved pigs are family breadwinners and the only property except for abandoned house. Margid is owner of the funeral parlor – human who always lives surrounded by bereavement of tears and pain. Erland is showcases decorator – he with his beloved man lives in Copenhagen, far away from home, which he left many years ago and never came back, when his family didn’t accepted him by who he really is. Brothers never were close, but them all joins together dying mother and the absence of love to their loser father. The biggest surprise – to say good bye to old woman comes extramarital daughter of an eldest son Tour, who never saw her grandparents or uncles.
Although plot is non-exceptional, but sincere and simple story involves the reader as a real detective. Characters of the book, even they don‘t want at all, start to dig in the past, in untold words, family secrets and finally they start to understand that all of them roots are in the old Neshov farm. As those Berlin poplars, which Germans planted during the war with the hope that for them, blown off by war here from Germany to Norway, these trees will remind home. “Yes. She told. She always was saying that what takes roots – persists. She really cared about those trees…“.
Author
Anne B. Ragde – Norwegian novelist, she was born in 1957. At the beginning of her as the writer career she was writing books for kids and youth, her first novel for adults was “En tiger for en engel” publicated at 1990. Novel “Berlin poplars“ was warm greeted by the readers and critics, it was translated to more than 20 languages of the world, in accordance with it was created spectacle and TV serial. Because of this novel author was rewarded for Riksmål award. Because of such unexpected success author wrote a continuation of book, which turned into trilogy. Anne B. Radge formerly suffered because of deprivation became millionaire.
