Keynote
The shimmering, windswept first novel by the internationally acclaimed author of Out Stealing Horses
Book Title
Echoland
Subtitle
A Novel
Cover Image
- “In this slim work, Pettersen writes with minimalist reticence—a remark here, a detail there—to create poignant lyricism.”—Kirkus Reviews
Body
Echoland is the powerful and emotionally resonant first novel from Per Petterson. Written in the mold of his early story collection Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes, it features a young Arvid Janssen, who is now twelve, on the verge of his teenage years and beginning to understand more about the world and his place in it. Set over the course of a single formative summer, the novelcaptures a series of episodes from Arvid’s long visit to his grandparents’ home in Denmark. He rides his bike around town, befriends other children on the beach, fishes for plaice, and weathers misunderstandings with his mother and grandparents, all of which Petterson imbues with the hope and yearning that come with this stage of life. Echoland is an assured and poignant beginning for an author—and character—who would go on to be loved the world over.
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About the Author
Credit: Baard Henriksen
Praise
- “A journey from Norway to Denmark becomes a life-changing rite of passage in Petterson’s beautifully understated story. . . . Petterson’s portrayal of the inner life of a preteen boy is precise and moving, and the remarkable prose captures the landscape as well as the painful deterioration of Arvid’s parents’ marriage. This early work from a master leaves an indelible mark.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
- “Merging time and memory to reveal the trauma, confusion, and exhilaration of growing up, this coming-of-age novel proves that Petterson’s immense talent was on display from the very first. ”—Library Journal, starred review
