Edvard is brought up by his grandparents on a remote farm in Norway - when his grandfather dies, Edvard unexpectedly finds himself on a quest to find out about his parents who mysteriously died when he was three and his great-uncle…

I love Mytting’s writing - he has a remarkable ability to create an atmospheric setting (especially, though not only, the harsh, desolate, windswept variety) through which to weave a gripping story. I didn’t even mind that some of it was a little far-fetched, I was absolutely invested and wanted to know what Edvard would find out next.

Ultimately, this is a story of the toll of family secrets and how the past (whether secret or not) can eat away at people, such as Sverre’s choice to serve in the German army - a choice that followed him his whole life even in the smallest of ways, regardless of whether he regretted it. As for the family secrets, this isn’t just one secret but layer after layer of intertwined secrets. But it’s not all tragedy - the book is also a joyous ode to working with wood and the skill of cabinetmaking. My grandfather was a carpenter, so I deeply appreciated this aspect of the novel.

An atmospheric, slightly mysterious story of family secrets, being haunted by the past and the beauty of skilled woodworking.