Au coin du fjord

by Lorelou Desjardins

Tout commence lorsque Lorelou, franco-québécoise, s’installe à Oslo après y avoir décroché un emploi. Ce livre pétillant et drôle raconte les facétieuses aventures de Lorelou durant sa première année en Norvège. Depuis des voyages dans le grand Nord qui la mèneront aux Lofoten et sous les aurores boréales des Samis, des aventures et mésaventures amoureuses cocasses et tendres, en passant par l’apprentissage du monde du travail norvégien et de la langue, Lorelou est déterminée à s’intégrer.

Déjà vendu à plus de 7000 exemplaires, disponible en 3 langues et best-seller en Norvège, ce récit aussi désopilant que perspicace nous amène à découvrir avec délice la Norvège encore méconnue.

Lorelou Desjardins vit en Norvège depuis 13 ans. Elle est juriste, écrivaine et journaliste. Ses textes paraissent dans la presse norvégienne ainsi que les radios et télés nationales. Elle donne des cours en entreprise pour aider les étrangers à mieux comprendre la Norvège.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Scandinavian Literature, Biography Memoir, Biography, Humor

362 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2023

About the author

Lorelou is French and has been living in Norway for 12 years. She writes a blog about the quirkiness of Norwegian culture on www.afroginthefjord.com and has published one book about integrating in Norway, published in English and Norwegian. She writes in a witty way about serious topics, from Norwegian food to politics or even working culture. Before moving to Norway she lived in 7 countries and has much experience in adapting to new lifestyles and cultures. She is also a columnist in Norway's most read newspaper Verdens gang, and has been featured in CNN, Elle Great Britain, and more.

In her daily life Lorelou studied international law and South East Asian Studies. She works on plastic pollution reduction worldwide. She speaks fluently French, Norwegian, English and Indonesian and hopes to learn herself a few more languages. She lives in Oslo, Norway.

Reviews

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

My gosh, I really really enjoyed this! I adore Lorelou and her observations on Norwegians. Its funny cause its true. I just loved this book!

[fer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorei!! Fala sobre um ano que a autora teve ao se mudar pra Noruega a trabalho. A autora é francesa, entao fala dos choques culturais que ela sentiu nesse primeiro ano, a experiencia dela aprendendo noruegues e viajando por varias cidades na Noruega. Um livro muito divertido e facil de ler, principalmente se voce se interessa pela Noruega, pelos costumes de lá ou pelos paises escandinavos no geral.

[Anne-Marit Moe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utrolig bra bok, kjempe artig å lese om seg selv, anbefales

[Xheni Dura]

This book had me laughing on my ways to the gym as I found myself relating to most of what she was describing. Smart, funny, and very entertaining!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful read, not only about the young woman from France’s decision to take a job in Norway, but learning so much about the people of Norway and why they are the way they are and that many of these traits still exist in my generation here in America.

[madelén · Rating 5 out of 5]

Da jeg begynte å lese denne boka forventet jeg veldig lite (ikke spør meg hvorfor). Men jeg har aldri vært så positivt overrasket av en bok før og jeg angrer ikke et sekund på at jeg valgte å gå bort fra den opprinnelige planen min for november for å lese den.

Jeg mistet tellingen på hvor mange ganger mamma kom inn på rommet mitt for å sjekke om det gikk bra med meg siden jeg lo så mye... høyt... og ikke bare var boka en fryd å lese, men jeg synes også den var ganske informativ. Jeg føler at jeg har lært en del om det norske samfunnet som jeg ikke har tenkt på før. Alle disse morsomme småtingene som jeg ikke legger merke til fordi jeg er så vant til dem.

Dette er også første boka på lenge som har klart å begge følelsene av at jeg bare måååå lese noen kapitler til. Jeg likte spesielt kapitlene om Lorelous eventyr i Nord-Norge.

Dette er definitivt den boka jeg har lest i år så langt som tok meg mest på senga og jeg anbefaler den på det sterkeste. Skrivemåten, skrivestilen eller hva enn det heter, er lett og føles veldig naturlig og dette er bare en veldig bra bok kort sagt. Men dette er jo selvsagt min mening da.


Noen av favoritt sitatene mine fra boka:
"Det som skjer på julebordet, blir på julebordet."

"Hvor mye dagslys per dag får vi etter det?"
"Et par minutter tror jeg."

"Er det noe en nordmann hater mer enn å måtte fortelle deg at han er fra den og den dalen og ikke fra nærmeste byen, så er det og forklare at han ikke er fra Sverige."

"Nordlendinger får aldri bakrus. Det kalles evolusjon."

"Kall det festkomunisme."

"Hvem kunne ha gjettet at brunost også kan brukes som masseødeleggelsesvåpen?"

"Etter påske lengter de etter 17. mai, og så lengter de etter sommerferien, deretter høstferien, så jul, så vinterferien, og så påsken igjen, også videre. Jeg kaller det den norske livssyklusen."

"Selv om moderne nordmenn ikke trenger værmeldingen for å overleve, er den fremdeles veldig viktig for dem. Men i dag trenger nordmenn værmeldingen også til noe helt annet: sin mentale helse."

"Og alle forventer dritt vær i november."

"I verdensmålestokk er Norge en liten peanøtt som har rotet seg bort oppe i nord."

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was haphazardly written putting her experience living 3 years in Norway into one year. I can see why she did it though, dividing up her time in Norway into four season. She is a French woman who accepted a job in Oslo and blogged about it. This is the book of the blog. I’m surprised at how many books I’ve read that were previously blogs. I’m not a blog reader, so it’s good bloggers became authors!

The beauty of Norway is well-known and she highlighted that. Her struggles to make friends, date and learn the language had me advocating for her to run back to France!

I texted my Norwegian-American friend with tidbits. “I don’t think your autistic, but just Norwegian.”

I found this book from successful Facebook target advertising on me. I borrowed the book from the library.

As a person who lives in the Pacific Northwest, I could understand some of the things that baffled this author from a southern France. Author: I have to bring a wool beanie to go on a summer camping trip?! Me: Yes! Yes, you do!

****** update Jan 3, 2025***
I have thought about this book a lot! I remember reading something about taking cod liver oil in months ending in -ber to build up enough vitamin D to ward against winter depression. The rainy months in the PNW can be brutal! I borrowed the book again in September to see what the parameters were. And bought some cod liver oil from Walmart, so not the best quality and took it every day. Let me tell you, as an American, I could have spiraled into a deep depression after our November election and I didn’t. I was surprisingly in a good mood despite shit. I also haven’t developed any colds or sicknesses. So it’s January, not a month ending in -ber and I don’t want to give up my Cod Liver Oil!

[Ainavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morsom bok om hvordan vi nordmenn er

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of the book but it was hard to get through. There were times I was simply annoyed with her, and that made it hard to pick it back up again. I appreciate the honesty and her interpretations of life in Norway though and it is definitely an outsiders view of the country. I just wouldn’t exactly put her on a list of tourism guides. Some things people just need to see or experience on their own and get their own interpretation of.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I helped a library patron put this on hold, and it looked interesting, so I placed a hold for myself too. This book evolved from a blog the author started when she got a job in Norway and planned to spend a year there.

I enjoy learning about different cultures and countries, and since the author is French, I got double the exposure, as she was comparing Norway to France, a country I've been to but not long enough to absorb anything significant.

I liked how candid the author was about her experiences and opinions. She didn't paint a perfect picture and was honest about her struggles with making friends and looking for love. There seemed to be a pretty big cultural divide with two of the Norwegian guys she dated, and I wasn't surprised when she said the person she ended up with was another foreigner like she was.

As rocky as her first year was, she found things she really loved about Norway, enough to stay and eventually get her citizenship. I was surprised to read that gender equality in Norway was better than in Provence, where she grew up (although I think I'd have a hard time choosing the climate in Norway over Marseilles).

She is much more adventurous than I in what she's willing to eat. The combination of so many cold months plus food I wouldn't want to eat meant I wasn't dying to go to Norway myself by the time I finished the book. It was a good read though, and Desjardins was a likable guide.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about the culture of modern Norway. The most interesting take-away is that Norway is not a homogeneous culture in that the people in Oslo are very different from those in the north of the south (even the spoken language is not the same). The author's job took her to Oslo, and she recounts her experiences trying to make friends among people who are undemonstrative and slow in acceptance of people they haven't known for a very long time. But the scenery is unparalleled, and every day is a new learning experience. Each of those adventures brings her closer to understanding the cultural norms and eventually establishing many friendships. In the end, she chooses Norway over "home," Marseille being her point of reference from her childhood--and Oslo and Marseille could not be more different. One thing Norway offers is equality for women, especially important (a deal-breaker) for Ms Desjardins who is an independent and adventurous woman.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. If you're interested in both French and Norwegian culture, A Frog in the Fjord provides an enlightening and humorous intersection of the two. The author analyzes cultural differences between French and Norwegian relationships, recreation, work, gender equality and social expectations. The author speculates as to why Norwegians seem to suppress emotions, drink so much, and are obsessed with koselig and friluftsliv. She also traverses the country and describes clashes between and stereotypes of Northern and Southern Norwegians, which is a reminder that social issues exist in even the most utopian-seeming countries.

[Jack Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming foreigner’s (read: French, slightly lost, mid-twenties woman) account of 12 months living in Norway.
Surprisingly harsh and critical at times, overall I found her observations to be quite perceptive and accurate.
Commentary about her dating life was entertaining. Lots of Norwegian language and quirks throughout.
A good read for anyone visiting the country.

[Askaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

La lecture de ce livre m'a apporté des réponses à des questions que je m'étais posé sans le savoir, m'a confirmée dans certains choix et l'humour m'a bien fait sourire. Lecture agréable, informative et marrante.

[Tricia Toney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very witty and informative look at life in Norway. Lorelou has gotten a job in Norway. She can't speak the language and has steep learning curve for learning about the people. A very good read.

[K Kriesel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg elsker denne boken, jeg har lært meg Norsk de siste årene, og det ga meg lyst til å reise dit mer enn noen gang

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this while in Norway, which made it more relevant (and therefore intriguing) than it might otherwise have been. But I would have liked it anyway. :-)

[Amelia Schueppert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone visiting (or interested in visiting) Norway

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Veldig lettlest og artig språk, men som innfødt nordmann er poengene litt forutsigbar og enkle. Ser dog for meg at mange utlendinger kan dra god nytte av å lese denne boken når de flytter til Norge.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If you were offered this job, would you be willing to move to Oslo and learn Norwegian? It is the working language in our office, and we will not change it for you.”

This is a true story of one woman's life after she decided to move to Norway for a job.

Overall, despite the ending, it seemed the author really didn't have a lot of good things to say about Norway except when she referred to her time in Northern Norway.

I have an acquaintance (read: someone I worked with over 15 years ago but we are still friends on Facebook) who recently moved from the US to France. And she doesn't know French. And she has like 5 kids and a spouse. It was serendipitous to read this as I just learned of her life change. Different country, but I imagined her going through much of the same things as Lorelou.

Originally from France herself, I get it that living in France is different than other countries. I think I would have rated this higher if she wrote about the differences with wonder and delight yet it all seemed like she was looking down her nose at how stupid Norwegians are.

"The dinner started at 5pm, if you can imagine that. In France, only toddlers get to have dinner that early."

"It seemed that Norwegians around me needed to be sure I would be around, so I was worth “investing time in,” which was not the case if I was there for one year." (reminds me of Boston)

"Every year at least one Scandinavian paper raises the debate of the use of the Norwegian flag during the Norwegian national day. Because here it is not just a few flags which are waved, there are literally tens of thousands of them being waved, pinned, drawn on cakes, and on faces. For foreigners like me, this exaggerated use of flags was very strange at first, if not shocking."

"I have nothing against grilling, but these mini grills everyone used in Oslo were disposable and could only be used once, and cost surprisingly very little money. One lights them with a fuel impregnated paper on top, and then the coal burns in an aluminum box. The bins of the Oslo parks were cemeteries of engangsgrill (single-use grill), with apparently as many as 3000 of them dumped there every single weekend. They were so cheap compared to how much they cost to nature. I did not understand how these super environmentally friendly Norwegians who love their forest and cherish their fjords could turn a blind eye to how environmentally unwise this was. And especially very avoidable since one could just buy a portable grill or find another way to heat those sausages that were pre-cooked anyway. All this waste to heat sausages."

"When I returned to the office after the long break, I used the opportunity to ask my colleague Åse about these long Easter holiday activities. “Usually we go to our cabin, ski, and eat lots of eggs,” she answered. “Eggs? You mean chocolate eggs?” I asked. Ahh, that was where they were: chocolate egg hunting. “No, regular eggs,” she said. “Like real eggs? Do you also eat real rabbits instead of the chocolate ones?” I asked."

"In Norway one’s lunch shouldn’t be too expensive. I was told that any cheese more expensive than the cheapest gulost or hvitost (yellow or white hard cheese sold in blocks) was too fancy to eat on an everyday basis."

As I read some of these back now that I have a little bit of distance from my initial reading, it is probably like reading a work e-mail and one person hears a "tone" in the message and takes offense while another has no reaction at all.

Some of the observations are funny and I have now told this joke several times: "There are two types of Norwegians: the introverts and the extroverts. How do you tell the difference between an introverted Norwegian and an extroverted Norwegian? When talking to you the introvert looks at their shoes, while the extrovert looks at your shoes."

Norway, in many ways, is not much different than living in Minnesota!

"At some point in April, the weather warmed up for one day (read: it gets above 0 degrees Celsius), Norwegians literally started stripping, getting out their tank tops and sandals."

“There are many other ways to fight winter depression. You need to go out, be social, talk to friends, exercise. You can also do the Norwegian way of getting drunk every weekend, and having casual sex, especially now that you are single,” she said with a wink. “Or you can go to Syden or get some sun in countries where it is warm during our winter. A cheaper option is to do UV light in a solarium here. Lighting candles is also important. To make things koselig.”

"Bløt means soft, and bløtkake is therefore a sponge cake which Norwegians layer with cream. For this special occasion, berries of different colors (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries) are laid in the shape of the Norwegian flag on top of the cake." (sounds like the cool-whip topped cakes we make for the 4th of July)

Passive aggressive in MN? Maybe it came from our Norweigian ancestors!

“So, what did you think of your first Norwegian meeting?” “I did not understand the words, but it seemed like this meeting went really well!” I said. He laughed. “Really? Why do you think that?” he asked. “Everyone was so calm, no conflict, no anger, no irritation. No one was speaking louder, interrupting one another or being aggressive like one would hear in French offices,” I answered. “Well,” said Bjørn, still smiling. “The meeting did not go well. People were very irritated, they disagreed with most of the propositions, and we did not pass item two on the agenda. We had to schedule several other meetings to reach a compromise and agree on solutions.”

And Minnesota is known for lovers of Lutefisk and there was a lot of fish food in this book. For that reason alone I do not think I could live there!

"In Norway one can find many kinds of food in a tube: makrell i tomat, i.e. mackerel in tomato sauce. Or my worst nightmare: rekeost. You have to be Norwegian to think of making a semi-liquid paste of shrimps and cheese to spread on a slice of bread. Other strange mixes such as a liquid paste of bacon and cheese"

There were some things she did find fascinating and liked about Norwegians:

"Norwegians trust people to admit they’ve made a mistake. It is socially acceptable for people to make mistakes in Norway. Even people in power can make mistakes. The unacceptable thing for Norwegians is to lie about it and cover it up."

"The CEO of a Norwegian company needs to be as humble as the person cleaning the floors. Both have a job to do. Both are important to the company. Their salaries are not even that different, not as much as in French or American companies at least. According to the Norwegian system, a living and decent wage is something everyone should have. Respect for their work is too."

"French parents get nannies as soon as their kids turn two months old because that is all mothers get as maternity leave. When the kids are older, they get babysitters who fetch them from school at 4:30pm. The babysitters bathe the kids, feed them, and get them into pajamas for when the parents come home from work. They barely get time for a kiss good night before the kids need to sleep."

plus it doesn't sound like many people work a 40 hour week there.

Is it good to be told the movie was AMAZING only to set your expectations higher only to be let down? Did the book sell me on the idea of moving to Norway? No. But I think it lowered my expectations such that I think I would be quite pleasantly surprised.

[Kate Hammond · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for some literary tourism before traveling to Norway. On one hand it did show me what Norway is like culturally and I did enjoy reading about the nature and seasons of Norway. But on the other hand it left me not really looking forward to Norway. While I understand that every country has its positives and negatives, this book gave me a very negative view of the Norwegian people. They came across as cold, unfriendly, and judgmental. The only time they were friendly is when they you extremely intoxicated. While they ultimately accepted the author, she had to become a lot more Norwegian and a lot less French. I got the district impression that Norwegians don’t like anyone that is not like them, even their own country men. I get that all countries have friendly and unfriendly people and even similar social issues, but most of the stories showed a cold people. The author talks about how they value equality but forgets her own stories from earlier in the book about racism and judgements the people of the south pass on the north and its people. While I don’t think the authors intent was to make these people look so awful (except for the friendly north), I’m not sure how you could come away feeling any other way. The other reason for the rating is due to the authors clearly preconceived perceptions of Christianity that were not based on fact or any research on how Christianity has impacted society, but rather on her own bias. And frankly I don’t see why that even needed to be included as it was barely mentioned in the entirety of the book.
I would not recommend to read this book before traveling to Norway, as my opinion has been thoroughly tainted. Maybe save it for after, if you need to gain clarity on this country.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot and really appreciated Lorelou's commentary and point of view.

[Gedi௨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s one of the deepest & funny presentation of🇳🇴, its people and culture. Lorelou does it gently and sophisticated at the same time as preparing any of her french dishes. If you want to learn / practice your norwegian and get to know Norway at the same time, get this book. The writing style is witty with great dose of self irony both at herself and the people. The author covers all the key ingredients of norwegian society snd equips you both with vocabulary and topics for your next conversation with norwegian at work / party / bar / 17’May. This is great gift to everyone trying to ingrate into this viking society and appreciate more norwegian way of making things, loving, and living.

Well written & kudos 🙏 to https://afroginthefjord.com/

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denne!! Vanvittig gøy å se Norge gjennom Lorelou sine øyne. Hun har stupt uti det med alt hun kan, og jeg får nesten litt medfølelse - vi nordmenn er visst litt vanskeligere å forstå enn jeg tenkte, haha... Dette er så utrolig spot on, jeg kommer til å smile lenge av denne.

[Andreas Henriksen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hadde noen morsomme partier. Alle de karikerte beskrivelsene av folk og hendelser derimot gjør boka dårlig. Det er sikkert et bevisst grep for at det skal bli morsomt og underholdende, men jeg hadde likt bedre om den hadde vært mer lærerik enn teit.

[Brenda Greene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lorelou condenses her 3 year online and anonymous blog into a book describing a year of working and living in Norway.

Originally from Marseilles, France, Lorelou works as a lawyer for human rights. In her mid 20's with experience living in other countries and a talent for languages, she is well placed to comment on culture and how it shapes personal relationships. She has a self deprecating humour, an eye for the ridiculous and a thirst for adventure.

The book is intended to help others integrate into the Norwegian culture. However as Lorelou works with non governmental agencies and in human rights I wonder if her viewpoint is a little skewed. I can't imagine every work culture being so egalitarian. As she points out, Norway has a lot of the same social problems as elsewhere.

The recent wealth of Norway due to oil may underly the ability of Norwegians to promote the equality and trust she feels pervades Norwegian society. Lorelou sometimes touches on bigger issues like this but it's a light touch. She now works, ironically, on preventing plastic pollution, a major by-product of oil.

The book has short chapters, and usually centre on a funny incident, each with a self reflection at the end.

It's an easy, enjoyable read. Lorelou's written English idiosyncrasies include numerous punctuation and frequent grammatical errors which remain unedited. Sadly the book is missing 5 chapters from 167 to 202. A big publisher oversight.

The sense of being a foreigner and learning how to integrate is shown well, as is deciding what's important in your life.

[Karen Quigley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for a purpose - to learn a bit about Norway and how to be there in advance of a trip. The book itself was okay - informative but a bit over-dramatic and self-obsessed. The best parts were the travel experiences. But then I went to Norway and found a warm and friendly country, so undercut the book's message - which is that Norway, Oslo in particular, is a dark and cold place, both in terms of the climate and the personal relationships.

Of course, I'm a tourist, not a resident, and 75 instead of 25, and went in the summer to Bergen where we had 5 days of uninterrupted sun and warmth. And I'm American, not French, so have different social expectations. I found Bergen in general and National Day (May 17th) in particular all it was described as and more, a celebration of community with joy and pride, and welcoming neighbors more than happy to share their afternoon feast. I'd read this book as background but not as gospel.

All that said, I much admire the author's sense of adventure and openness. It's an inspiration to hermetic Americans to know that the world can be yours if you're willing to engage. And to be reminded once again that our way of life is designed to isolate us and make us crazy. Here's to cultures that support a more balanced and integrated lifestyle.

[Danae - WordPeace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Lorelou's first year in Norway is so relevant to me, halfway through my second year in Norway now. The way she has articulated all of the cultural shocks and nuances here really left an impression on me, and it was a pleasure to relate to her journey through the ups and downs. She encapsulated the magic of Norway while also fairly critiquing behaviors and unwritten social rules. I'm planning to buy 5 extra copies to bring home with me as gifts for my friends and family so they can better understand my own life through Lorelou's commentary. I appreciate how much Lorelou prioritized trying new skills in her pivotal first year, pushing through all kinds of barriers in order to appreciate Norwegian society and lifestyle -- she certainly managed to have a host of funny, endearing experiences!

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full perspective- I am neither French nor Norwegian, but have spent time in Norway (a limited geographic region) with personal friends and would go back at the drop of a feather! Someone recommended this to me and I am so grateful.
This is a thoroughly contemporary and entertaining account of a young French woman (of amazing gumption and grit!) who recounts her first year working in Norway. Her intent was to consider if this might become a suitable longterm residence. Her choices of activities, trainings, conversations, and explorations are frank, amusing, and revealing of Norway and its people, but also of the importance of avoiding stereotypes and monolithic impressions.
I did really enjoy the reading and recommend it as an armchair adventure with potential to e encourage actual travel.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it would be more of a laugh-out-loud beach read after reading “The Nearly Almost Very Perfect People” but I found it mostly “interesting”. I had to temper my expectations and go with the flow. It wasn’t awful and I was compelled (intrigued) by the culture, history and possible origins of it all. Ancestry.com indicates that I have a bit of Norwegian heritage and i had thought about visiting the Lofitan Islands. But after reading this, I’m just not sure I want to go. The book ends with this woman settling in Norway after a harsh awareness about the Nordic lifestyle and she found her “home”. But I think visiting for 2 weeks would highlight all the ways we’d misstep as Americans, be offended or ignored. Maybe worth the read if interested in Scandinavian cultures; Norway in particular.