Days in the History of Silence
Dager i stillhetens historie
An elderly woman thinks about her former housekeeper, a woman her and her husband were close to for a period of time, before abruptly dismissing her. Everyone but she and her husband question what happened. The couple has silently agreed to not discuss their past. While he becomes more and more closed up, she tries to break out of the isolation and silence, for instance by speaking to a priest.
The novel is about the love between two people who have made important choices that define their entire existence, just to realize that some things can’t be omitted. The past not only resurfaces, it has been there all along.
Awarded the Nordic Council Literary Prize 2012 and the Norwegian Literary Critics’ Prize 2011.
‘Merethe Lindstrøm shows the suggestive power of a writer who has faith in her material. The result is a little masterpiece of a book (…) Through an elegant, epic technique of cuttings, she creates a textual mosaic of a life that deserves a multitude of readers.’
Dagbladet
‘Stylish and clever. Lindstrøm is not only an outstanding, but also an intelligent, stylist.’
Dag og Tid
‘Something as rare as an author it is essential to read.’
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