Brightly Shining

by Ingvild H. Rishøi, Caroline Waight (translator)

Ronja bor med sin pappa och sin storasyster Melissa i stadsdelen Tøyen i Oslo. Det närmar sig jul. Ronjas pappa har än en gång blivit arbetslös. Därför måste Melissa ut och sälja julgranar, därför måste Ronja själv sälja kransar och julkärvar till förmån för fattiga barn. Pappa i sin tur verkar mest vara synlig på stamstället Stargate. Och december kommer snart att handla om våta vantar, provision och öl. Men också om tre visa män, en stjärna och en skog.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Contemporary, Holiday, Audiobook, Novella, Literary Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2021

About the author

Ingvild H. Rishøi was born and raised in Oslo and hers is a wildly willful voice in fiction. She has consistently wowed readers with her pared down yet powerful storytelling, with an acute eye for the wonder of everyday life and for vulnerable characters at the fringes of society, not seldom children.

Her literary career began in 2007 with the release of the short story collection, Do Not Erase, which introduced her as a promising new voice in Norwegian literature. Her second collection of short stories, The Tale of Mrs Berg, published in 2011, was shortlisted for the prestigious Brage Prize.

In 2014, Rishøi received widespread acclaim and popular recognition for the short story collection Winter Stories. The book won the Critics’ Prize for best adult fiction as well as the Brage Prize for best work of short fiction. It was also nominated in the Brage adult fiction category, which was the first time ever a book had been nominated in two categories.

Rishøi’s debut novel, Brightly Shining, was published in 2021 and was instantly deemed a modern classic, solidifying her position as one of the Nordic’s most revered literary voices. The book is published or forthcoming in more than 30 territories, was selected as one of Oprah’s Best Books of 2024, is adapted for film and was Dua Lipa's monthly read in December 2025.

In May 2024, Ingvild H. Rishøi received the Dobloug Prize, awarded by the Swedish Academy, for her contribution to Norwegian literature.

Reviews

[Rosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A Scandinavian literary fiction with a different kind of Christmas story, somewhat inspired by ‘The Little Match Girl.’ Don’t trust that joyous cover and the title; the story is dark and emotional. The ending is left open to interpretation, which might go either way for readers. Not for those looking for feel-good Christmas tales.

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Plot Preview:

Tøyen, Norway. Ten-year-old Ronja is a dreamer. But she is also practical. Her alcoholic father is out of work again, so when Ronja gets to know about a job at the local Christmas tree stand, she pushes him to get it. For a few days, things are “brightly shining” for Ronja and her elder sister Melissa. But then, her father falls back to his old ways and loses the job, after having taken a huge advance on his salary. Melissa decides to take his place so that the motherless siblings aren’t sent to foster care. Ronja does her best to chip in. But can Christmas turn around so easily for the siblings?
The story comes to us in Ronja’s first-person perspective.

This debut novel was first published in Norwegian as ‘Stargate: en julefortelling’ (Stargate: A Christmas Story’). A huge success, it was instantly acclaimed as a modern classic. This version, translated to English by Caroline Waight, was released in November 2024.

Seeing that gorgeous Christmas tree and the sparkly star on the cover, and the title proudly proclaiming “Brightly Shining”, it is easy to understand why most English-language readers would take this to be a merry story for the joyful season. The truth is exactly the opposite. The title might remind you of all things bright and beautiful, but let’s not forget that even when eyes are filled with unshed tears, they look “brightly shining”. This is not a happy story in any way, though there are some heartwarming moments. I think that the title and the cover of the English edition neither indicate nor suit the content well.

Ronja, whose name means ‘star’, is a fascinating character to have as the narrator. She loves to go into dreamland, either pondering over the happy moments of the past or making wishful plans for the future. At the same time, she is mature because of her circumstances, and isn’t a typical head-in-the-clouds child we often see in light fiction. As our narrator is so young, we need to be prepared for a lot of reading between the lines. Ronja tells us what she knows and wishes and wonders, but she can’t tell us facts beyond her limited worldview. As such, the character development of the other characters is a bit surface-level. But what little we see is enough to get a handle on them.

Ronja’s elder sister Melissa is excellent. Forced to be a provider and caretaker to Ronja at the young age of sixteen, Melissa comes across as a mature youngster who is worried about the future but isn’t so fearful as to run away from it. I simply loved the realistic bond between the two siblings. There are also a few amazing secondary characters in the book, my favourite being the caretaker.

The blurb doesn’t mention this, but Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Match Girl’ has a strong role to play in the story, both through direct mentions in the plot as well as some scenes inspired by the sad fairy tale. If you know this story, then you can be prepared for a similar melancholic vibe in this novella.

The Scandinavian setting is used beautifully in the plot. The snow, the trees, the people, the atmosphere – all seem so real that you will feel as chilled as Ronja does in the Christmas tree stand. The portrayal of the family is also true to life, especially in the depiction of their father’s alcoholism (which is disappointing as well as infuriating) and the girls’ regular struggles to find enough food.

At just 192 pages (that too, in the hardcover edition), this is a quick read despite being literary in style. There are no chapter divisions, but there are sectional breaks in between scene transitions.

Ronja’s age might lull you into thinking that this book can work for middle-graders or teens, but be warned: the content is not for children. This is literary fiction, not middle-grade or YA fiction. There are many upsetting scenarios that are suitable only for adult eyes. The book does contain Christmassy feelings, but not necessarily of the warm or faith-oriented kind. The focus in the book is more on the capitalist nature of contemporary Christmas celebrations, with everyone having forgotten the true reason for the season.

In some ways, the book reminded me of Claire Keegan’s ‘Small Things Like These’, which is also an unusual Advent-Christmas story. But while Keegan’s novella, though equally grim, ends with a ray of hope, this book moves towards an array of confusion. You see, the ending is open to interpretation. There seems to be a sudden jump in genre, which I simply couldn’t understand the reason for. I am still trying to decide if what happened was literal or metaphorical. The final scene could be considered either magic or tragic, depending on your perspective.

One thing I simply didn’t like in the book was the repetitive use of a blasphemous cuss word. There might be people in real life who say such things, but does a Christmas story need to have a cuss word referencing ‘Jesus’ in such a vulgar way? This could have easily been avoided.

All in all, this is a story set during Christmas, but it is not a Christmas story. Mostly well-written but character-oriented, it will work better for literary fiction lovers looking for a somewhat serious holiday read. This book is being adapted for film. I hope the movie will shed more light on the ending because I do want to know what exactly happened.

Recommended to those who appreciate darker fairy tales/ Christmas stories such as ‘The Little Match Girl’ and don’t mind the cuss words. It is definitely not for those looking for a uplifting festive tale with a happy ending.

3.75 stars. (I’d have gone higher if the ending had been clearer and the language, cleaner.)


My thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing the DRC of “Brightly Shining” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


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[Ron Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Dickens didn’t invent Christmas, of course, but he left Tiny Tim’s crutch lying in the hallway for everybody else to trip over. Since 1843, writers have been limping along after the master storyteller, trying to catch a mugful of his ginger-infused sentimentality. For many of us, there is no shorter line to the tear ducts than a child’s imperiled hope for a merry Christmas.

Truman Capote redecorated the tree in 1956 with his tender story about making fruitcakes with his elderly cousin. “We are each other’s best friend,” the narrator explains as they begin gathering “cherries and citron, ginger and vanilla and canned Hawaiian pineapple, rinds and raisin and walnuts and whiskey and oh, so much flour, butter, so many eggs, spices, flavorings.” I don’t even like fruitcake, but I crave their fruitcake. And that final forlorn paragraph of “A Christmas Memory” — “severing from me an irreplaceable part of myself” — still throbs with nostalgia like a childhood scar.

“Brightly Shining,” a new novella from Norwegian writer Ingvild Rishoi, belongs to that contra-Dickens genre that wreathes holiday joy with sorrow. It’s not as perfect as Claire Keegan’s 2021 Christmas novella, “Small Things Like These,” but perfection makes for an unfair comparison.

O, come, all ye faithful, to have your hearts broken again.

Rishoi’s story takes place, as such stories must, in the redolent realm of childhood memory. Ronja is a clever 10-year-old girl in Oslo as the city prepares for Christmas. She’s a dreamer and a lover of tales, a preference that’s encouraged by her alcoholic father, who supplies the household with little else. The narrative, translated from th....

To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
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[Karenina (Nina Ruthström) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Men snälla nån! De bästa sagorna möts här i ett fantastiskt skickligt nedtecknat modernt julevangelie. Astrid Lindgrens Sunnanäng i fusion med H C Andersens Flickan med svavelstickorna = socialrealistisk succé. Den utspelar sig 2005 i Oslo på kapitalismens bakgård. Tid och rum är irrelevant, fattigdom och utsatta barn som måste klara sig utan föräldrar är ett tidlöst tema. Jag är djupt imponerad av hur författaren skildrar tioåriga huvudpersonen Ronja inifrån. Det är en konst att kunna skriva ur ett naivistiskt perspektiv som är realistiskt och samtidigt intressant för den vuxne läsaren.

Ronja hoppas på en vit jul i dubbel bemärkelse och på julmat och julgran. Hon bor med sin arbetslöse pappa och storasyster Melissa. Med hjälp av fantasin – uppmuntrad av pappan – lyfter Ronja sig ur sin prekära situation. Man kan drömma om att fly och man kan fly genom att drömma. Det är en vacker, sorglig och lagom mystisk men samtidigt vardagsrealistisk berättelse. Rishøis prosa är perfekt; enkel utan att vara banal, osentimental och exakt. Hon har mig i sitt grepp från första till sista sidan.

Här finns flera referenser för den vuxne läsaren att gotta sig åt exempelvis tre vise män. Hon lyckas alltså skriva fram relativt onda och goda karaktärer, men utan att det blir löjligt. Karaktärerna är fullt mänskliga, ofta medmänskliga och ingen person är egentligen ond utan mer som en länk i en kedja. Det är skönt att slippa effektsökeri som gärna används när språket inte räcker till för att påverka läsaren.

Den här berättelsen kommer att stå sig och bli en modern klassiker, tror jag. Det gör inte ett dugg att julen är förbi, läs!

[Jonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brightly Shining is a brief and beautiful novel. It is a novel of juxtapositions. There is darkness/light, sadness/sweetness, storm/calm, and most of all the heaviness of life/a heart filled with hope.

It is a heartbreaking story, but the author masterfully highlights human acts of kindness and compassion. Such an impactful read.

Shining Brightly is quite the Christmas story. It is one I highly recommend and will return to every December.

[Nikola]

Rzadko czytam polecajki z tyłu książki po jej skończeniu, ale jeszcze rzadziej jestem wściekła na ich treść.
Douglas Stuart napisał „w tej uroczej powieści o trosce…” PRZEPRASZAM, ale GDZIE to było urocze? To było bolesne, smutne i przygnębiające. W żadnym momencie nie było urocze.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad and heartfelt. Very open ending which I still can't figure out how to feel about.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a wonderful book, I would have given it 5 stars, if not for the open ending. I had no idea this is the author of “Winter Stories” that I just read and enjoyed recently

I love this review from Dua Lipa from her book club:

"For December, we have something truly special for you.
Brightly Shining is the perfect Christmas read - full of wonder, hope and magic. But as you might have come to expect from me, there's also a darker side. Written by Norwegian author Ingvild Rishøi and beautifully translated by Caroline Waight, this is a contemporary reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen's heartbreaking fable, The Little Match Girl.
Set in Oslo, sisters Ronja and Melissa, along with their alcoholic father, are doing their best to keep the household together. Dad adores his girls - their light is so bright it hurts his eyes - and they love him just as much. But love doesn't pay the rent, put food in the fridge, or keep him away from the pub. As winter bears down and Dad hits the bottle again, things begin to rapidly unravel.
"Around this fragile family orbits a cast of gentle, everyday heroes, providing a warm heart to this small yet mighty book. "Miracles do happen," the school caretaker tells Ronja. 'Sometimes there just isn't any other way out, and that's when a miracle happens!
"This book really stayed with me - it made me think about families impacted by addiction, about vulnerable people living at the margins, and about the importance of community, particularly at this time of year. It also made me think of the miracle small acts of kindness can be”

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★
“Melissa sits at the kitchen table and rings around and says several different things. Sometimes she says, I’m afraid we simply didn’t get the original bill, and sometimes she says, I’m afraid he’s simply been knocked off his feet with this pneumonia, and once she just said, hello, two motherless children and an alcoholic here, can you please give us two more weeks?”

Melissa, at 16, is the eldest of the two motherless children (true), and Ronja is her ten-year-old sister. The “alcoholic here” is their father, who is a loving dad when he’s dry. But he’s out of work again, which means the girls are living on Frosties, sometimes with milk.

Ronja is the one telling the story. She’s old enough to be aware of the problems and how much Melissa is doing, but she’s still starry-eyed enough to believe in her dad. All he needs is a job – that will keep him off the drink.

The caretaker of their building and another old man across the hall are fond of the girls, but there’s not much they can do. Christmas is coming, and the caretaker points out an ad stuck to a lamppost for a job selling Christmas trees, perfect for their dad.

“ ‘And if he does apply for the job, tell him to say he knows Alfred,’ said the caretaker. ‘He’s the one who delivers the Christmas trees for them.’

‘But is that true?’ I said.

‘True enough,’ the caretaker said. ‘I know Alfred, you know me, and your dad knows you. That’s the circle of life.’ ”

Ronja picks up lots of snippets of advice to store in her bright little mind. She loves stories and fairy tales and what-ifs. She’s like the children that want you to read them the same bedtime story every night. When she’s stressed, she relives the happy memories in her mind. I’d say she gets that from her father.

“When I got home, Dad was sitting at the kitchen table. Looking up, he shielded his eyes with his hand.

‘Is that the sun coming up?’ he said. ‘Where are my sunglasses?’

He smiled, I smiled too. Then he stopped smiling.

‘“Come and sit here for a minute,’ he said.He rubbed his forehead. But I didn’t want him to start up.”

She means to start up his whole ‘Sorry this is no way to live but remember that cabin in the winter and the good times we had there…’ She shows him the flyer about the job and gives him the instructions … and then she starts dreaming. Her father’s genes are pretty strong in her.

He’ll get the job and bring a tree to the school and everyone will watch and shout WOW! And they’ll have plenty of money and food and so on and so forth. The circle of life will continue. Later she asks Melissa, if he gets the job and if they get a discount and if they get a tree, would they decorate it right away?

“Melissa looked at me. ‘I don’t want to dream like that,’ she said.

‘Just a little bit?’ I said. ‘Just one teeny tiny dream?’

‘Jesus f**k,’ she said, but she’d given in, I could tell, the way she looked up at the ceiling and her body relaxed. She took my hand under the duvet. ‘Sure,’ she said. ‘If we get a Christmas tree.’ ”

I admit the language surprised me. It’s a reminder that this is not a fairy tale. This is about how real kids are living now, today, with alcoholic parents.

Ronja persists. She wants Melissa to tell her how they will light the candles on the tree, but not in their flat - in her imagination, in the cabin in the woods in the winter.

“ ‘We go into the living room and light the candles on the tree,’ she said. ‘And the way they glow is just . . . incredible.’

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Like in "The Little Match Girl". ’

‘Don’t think about that,’ Melissa said. ‘That’s the saddest story ever.’

‘But remember the tree?’ I said. ‘Don’t you remember the tree she’s looking at?’

‘She’s hallucinating,’ Melissa said. ‘Don’t think about that. The girl dies at the end, you know.’

‘She doesn’t die,’ I said. ‘She goes to her grandma.’

Melissa took a breath and shook her head, but then she put her face to mine, her mouth right up close to my ear, and she spoke softly, about Christmas decorations and log fires and smoke that rose towards the sky, deep, deep within the woods.”

Melissa may be 16, but she’d like Ronja to dream a little longer.

She so wants to help that when dad ends up back in the pub after working for a while, she takes over his job, and Ronja tags along in spite of the freezing weather. The fridge is full and the heat is on.

But Ronja isn’t supposed to be at the place with the Christmas trees, and she is worried that ‘someone will take an interest in them’, so to speak, if she can’t be with Melissa.

The author has adapted an old story for today, much as Barbara Kingsolver adapted David Copperfield for Demon Copperhead, about which I felt the same ambivalence. Both are good for new audiences, I think, just less so for me.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the copy of #BrightlyShining for review.

[Sarah ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brightly Shining - Ingvild H. Rishøi


نوفيلا حزينة ومؤثرة عن شجاعة وحنان الأخوة والظروف المالية القاسية، والأحلام البسيطة لكن بعيدة المنال والقلوب الطيبة وسط الواقع القاسي... نوفيلا تقع أحداثها خلال فترة أعياد الميلاد وتروى على لسان طفلة تحلم باللطف والخير وأوقات أفضل لعائلتها التي تعيش ظروفًا قاسية بسبب إدمان الأب على الكحول وتحاول الصمود مع شقيقتها الكبرى وسط هذه الظروف..

هذه النوفيلا لدي منذ أكثر من عام-الترجمة الإنجليزية ولسبب مجهول لم أحاول قراءتها قط، كان هناك شيء يمنعني عن قراءتها، انطباع ما...
حتى رأيت مراجعة سريعة وقصيرة لها على تويتر-مراجعة للترجمة العربية .. والتقطتها على الفور؛ وقرأتها في جلسة واحدة..
شكرًا لكل من يكتب عن قراءاته، ويساعدنا على تجاوز مخاوف قراءة كتب تركناها على الرفوف لوقت طويل ...

كما ذكرت أعلاه النوفيلا مترجمة إلى العربية بعنوان: "تشرق ساطعة".. هذه نوفيلا حزينة وتفطر القلب، إقرأؤها على مسؤوليتكم الخاصة واستعدوا لأن تفطر قلوبكم ..

[Connie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Brightly Shining" is a fable about two sisters supporting each other by working at a Christmas tree stand. Their father loves them, but alcohol has a hold on him, and he never keeps a job for long. The book is narrated by the ten-year-old sister, and set in a small town in Norway. It's a heartbreaking novella about hardship, courage, and kindness.

[Enrique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novelita de lo más recogido y elegante, poco más que un cuento largo (en un vuelo de 2,30 h, leí 90 páginas y el resto en dos ratos). El factor diferencial aquí es el estilo que usa Ingvild H. Rishoi. Para que se entienda gráficamente diría que es el estilo telegráfico que usan obras como Seda, El principito o varias obras recientes de Zambra: creo que el autor escribe una novela 4 veces más larga, y luego se dedica a podarla de forma sistemática, engarzando y dando sentido a lo que le ha quedado.
 
Buen resultado, como digo en cuanto a forma y también en cuanto al contenido de fondo, que logra transmitir tremenda ternura y delicadeza dentro de un enorme drama: sin aspavientos, sin sensacionalismo, sin buscar la lágrima facilona. La narradora es una niña, y la autora logra dar con su lenguaje sin que parezca impostado o falso (es más habitual entre lo que he leído otras veces, lograr un niño falso, que un niño que parezca veraz; lo digo para reconocerle el mérito a la autora).
 
Añadir también que es una lectura más recomendable si cabe, para fechas navideñas ¡¡ jo jo jo!!

[Iris ☾ (iriis.dreamer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

La puerta de las estrellas, se presentó ante mí por sorpresa, lo primero que me atrajo de ella fue saber que era una novela navideña y noruega escrita por una autora que no conocía pero que recomendaban infinidad de personas desde su reciente publicación. Así pues, gracias a Galaxia Gutemberg, que me hizo llegar un ejemplar, leí la última y desgarradoramente bella lectura del 2022.

Narrada en primera persona, esta historia, podríamos decir que es una especie de retelling (adaptación bastante libre) de uno de los cuentos navideños más célebres: “La niña de los fósforos”. En ella conoceremos a Ronja, una niña de diez años, inocente, curiosa y amable, cuyo sueño es tener su propio árbol de Navidad en casa. Nada es fácil y menos después de la muerte de tu madre, si vives con un padre alcohólico que no te presta la debida atención y tu único apoyo es tu hermana mayor, de la que no te quieres separar. Llega la Navidad y siempre hay esperanzas de que suceda un milagro que lo arregle todo.

En esta reseña me siento obligada a destacar el personaje principal de la obra. Ronja no es solo un testimonio infantil que vive en un entorno oscuro y demoledor, también es una niña cargada de esperanzas, de sueños, con un carácter magnético y puro. Uno de esos personajes de los que no te puedes desprender con el paso del tiempo, del que te acuerdas y con el que sufres en carne propia su desesperación y su ansiada felicidad.

Estamos ante un relato triste, conmovedor y mucho más profundo de lo que puede aparentar en un comienzo, con pocos personajes pero que resultan de vital importancia para el desarrollo de la trama y para entender mejor el mensaje que nos quiere transmitir. La autora nos ofrece un ambiente frío y gélido que traspasa las páginas, dotado de un estilo directo, sencillo y muy crudo, no os voy a engañar.

En definitiva, esta es la otra cara de la moneda de la Navidad, aquella que no representa la típica felicidad, sino todos los anhelos insatisfechos que caen en las profundidades del alma, de niños y jóvenes que no viven una realidad agradable. Pero al mismo tiempo, reivindica el sentimiento positivo y optimista, el rayo de luz que siempre queremos ver reflejado en esa época del año. Una novela para llorar y para disfrutar muy recomendable.

[Antonio Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novelita breve muy sencilla, muy pulida, muy medida, sobre la precariedad material y afectiva como estado natural de las cosas.
La narración en primera persona por la niña protagonista aporta una perspectiva muy lograda de ingenuidad con capacidad de resistencia.

La autora normaliza la mirada infantil sin dramatismo, con un estilo limpio hasta la transparencia, no hay juegos narrativos ni exceso alguno. Me estaba gustando mucho, pero tanta pulcritud formal la hace también muy contenida. Quien lee debe aportar su propio valor emocional, porque todo ocurre de forma muy esquemática. Y el tono triste de la novela ha sido muy uniforme, monótono, sin contrastes.

[Pernilla (ett_eget_rum) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detta var väldigt sorgligt, fint och sorgligt igen. Brukar inte gråta när jag läser men här var det svårt att stå emot.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★s
Brightly Shining is a Christmas-themed novella by prize-winning Norwegian author, Ingvild Rishoi. It is translated by Caroline Waight. In the Norwegian town of Toyen, ten-year-old Macaronja and her sixteen-year-old sister, Melissa are saddled with a chronically unemployed father. The widower loves his daughters, but he’s weak. It might be grief that sees him in bars in the company of dissolute characters and (possibly loose) women, drinking more and for longer than is compatible with keeping a job.

This puts the sisters under threat of intervention by social services, something that Ronja has seen happen to other children, and thus dreads. But there are adults watching out for the girls, concerned for their welfare. In November, one of these has a suggestion for a job for their father: Christmas tree seller.

It all goes well for a while: there’s food on the table and Dad is in his responsible phase. It comes apart when he gets an advance from his employer, ostensibly for Christmas gifts and treats, much of which is spent when Dad gives in to the temptation one of his drinking pals presents.

When he fails to turn up for the job, Melissa decides the only way to cover the debt is to work his job herself, before school and in the evenings. It leaves her exhausted, and Ronja lonely. Hanging around the tree-selling site allows Ronja to avoid her drunken father and their nosy neighbour, and is tolerated by Melissa’s manager, and soon Ronja’s cuteness is selling product. But the owner, Herman Eriksen is an ogre who objects to Ronja’s participation and even her presence: she is banned.

Rishoi paints a fairly realistic picture of a family in crisis, very sad and moving. As Ronja connects and begins to trust those who care for her, there’s plenty to like about this tale, but as the situation deteriorates, it seems like the author paints herself into a corner, and resorts to magic realism for a resolution that is rather unsatisfactory but apparently appeals to many, given the high ratings. Beautifully written.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Grove Atlantic

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I was drawn to this novella because of the lovely book cover, and the fact that it's translated from the Norwegian and involving Christmas. The story is told from the perspective of ten-year-old Ronja who lives in an apartment with her older sister, sixteen-year-old Melissa, and her father. As the book begins Ronja is bantering with the caretaker outside her school when he gives her a flyer for a local job selling Christmas trees. The hope is that her father could get this job.

In a slow reveal, through the skepticism of the older sister Melissa towards their father, and her mothering care to her younger sister, a poignant story of child neglect due to parental alcoholism is told. I admired both sisters' work ethic and the revelation that there can be joy and satisfaction in alternate environments, even while working- and this happened to be at a Christmas tree / wreath sale lot. I also loved the concept of a neighbor in the apartment providing sustenance and support when called upon, in the character of Aronsen, an elderly widower.

This was a quick and satisfying read up until the very end when things got a bit foggy for me. Rather than a straightforward and clear conclusion, it was muddied up with a splash of magical realism that left me confused.

Thank you to the publisher Grove Atlantic / Grove Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

[Laubythesea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Las navidades son uno de mis momentos favoritos del año, tengo la suerte de poder asociarlas a felicidad, personas que quiero, comida que me encanta, muchas risas y un sinfín de recuerdos especiales.
 
Sin embargo, parece que mis lecturas navideñas de este año han venido para explorar a fondo esas emociones a flor de piel que también traen consigo estas fechas (sí, soy esa persona que llora con todos los anuncios de navidad), estrujándome el corazón y llenando de tristeza algunas de mis tardes. También diré, que las historias que me hacen sufrir, son las que luego no olvido.
 
La autora noruega Ingvild H. Rishoi propone en ‘La puerta de las estrellas’ una suerte de retelling de ‘La pequeña cerillera’ de Andersen (como si no tuviéramos suficiente disgusto ya con esa historia). Una novela corta de esa que te lees de una sentada porque es imposible soltarla y ¡algo que me encanta!: con narrador infantil.
 
Ronja, tiene diez años, aunque da la sensación de tener alguno más por el peso que ciertas experiencias le han dejado como la muerte de su madre o vivir en constante tensión ante las consecuencias de que su padre sea alcohólico. Este hombre se nos presenta como alguien sin maldad, que adora a sus hijas, trabajador y luchador, pero bajo el yugo de una adicción que siempre vuelve y que define la existencia de todos. Otro pilar es Melissa, la hermana mayor de Ronja, quien también aún estando en el instituto debe hacerse con una serie de responsabilidades y preocupaciones que no deberían de ser suyas. Alguien a quien sus circunstancias le han quitado las ganas de imaginar. Alguien con la edad suficiente para entender, y quizá por eso, su sufrimiento se siente en tus huesos.
 
Una historia sencilla pero impactante, que logra una gran profundidad gracias a la presencia de una serie de geniales personajes secundarios (dos de ellos, mis favoritos del relato) y a la transparencia y cercanía con la que plantea los sucesos a través de esos ojos infantiles. Esos mismos que te dan una visión sesgada, que se va ampliando con el paso de las páginas hasta demostrarte que no todo es lo que parece en un principio.
 
Una novela que tiene todo para sumergirte en esa fría navidad donde por momentos parece que Ronja conseguirá su sueño, tener al fin en casa, un árbol de navidad. Una lectura que pone tu pensamiento en la realidad de muchas personas en situaciones de vulnerabilidad, que nos recuerda que las navidades no son cálidas, felices y con mesas repletas para todos.
 
Daos prisa, ¡aún llegáis a tiempo para leerla estas navidades!

[Alex.andthebooks]

Nie wiem jak ją ocenić, ale to było tak smutne i znajome.

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbreaking story of two sisters who must rely on each other as their father is unreliable on his many “off” days, as he is an alcoholic.
The story is told by Ronja, a 10 year old dreamer. she lives with her 16 year old sister, Melissa, who is a realist and their father. It is just before Christmas and with a bit of luck, their father manages to get a job at a Christmas tree lot. But thanks to the extra money, he turns back to his old ways. To keep food on the table, Melissa offers herself in place of her father.

With each page that I turned, I felt so angry at what these girls had to put up with. There were kindnesses shown to them, but mostly they endured thanks to the other.

This is not a feel good story, so if that is what you are hoping for, don’t pick this one up. This is a story for the real world today- so many kids suffer and go without at this time of the year. A reminder is never out of place.

The writing was mesmerizing and but for the open ending, this would have been a solid 5 star. I have my thoughts on how it ended, but will not add them to my review, so as not to spoil it for anyone.

Translated by Caroline Waight
Published: 2021

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó pero me resultó tan triste... no estoy yo para estos dramas xD

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. What a story. I'm not much given to being overly emotional about books but this really broke me.

It is the story of two sisters Melissa and Ronja, as told by the youngest sister Ronja. They live with their father whose life is becoming increasingly out of control. But instead of accepting things Melissa and Ronja get jobs helping out at a Christmas tree suppliers - not that the boss knows it.

Ronja's narration is sweet and childlike but also shows a wisdom beyond her years. She makes unlikely friendships and as the book comes to an end she is the one who provides the solution to their problems.

My heart broke for these two girls, trying to get through their lives in the best way they can. The prose is beautifully simple with characters conveyed with such a light touch.

Beautiful and heartbreaking novella. I loved it but it did make me cry.

Very highly recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brightly Shining is now on my December list for holiday reads. . .it is a deep dive into family dynamics of a heartbroken family in the Land of the Midnight Sun (Norway).

Readers ride in the mercurial mind of 10-year old Ronja - it is her eyes, ears and thought processes that inform this story. Poverty hangs heavy over the family consisting of one parent who is charged with and loves his daughters, but is tangled in the weeds of reality; Ronja is first to see joy in their world, and her sister Melissa, is a teen who is bristling under and clearly sees the dangers all around them. Also in this sweet sour tale is an almost able set of community saviors who are facing their own difficulties, but still are moved to reach out to the girls.

This is a short tale, and given the message, must needs be so. It's open ended, but my take felt that part of it tells us that Hope perceived by others is ever present, but follows the travelers and just as they do, also fades from the reader's ken and view altogether. Readers are left rather bereft and lonely caring about these fictional characters - hit in the heart. Thinking, like me, perhaps, of the very many non-fictional real people within the light and warmth of our very own lamps.

That's a reminder worth all the stars, in every season.

*A sincere thank you to Ingvild Rishøi, Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

[Neda Alaei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tøyen ❤️

[Paula Mota · Rating 2 out of 5]

#Natal até quando uma mulher não quer

"Miracles do happen,” the caretaker used to say. “Sometimes there just isn’t any other way out, and that’s when a miracle happens.

Cheguei a esta história de Natal porque vi em várias resenhas que fazia lembrar Claire Keegan. Deve ser outra Claire Keegan e não aquela que eu conheço, porque essa jamais escreveu uma pieguice como esta, a fazer lembrar dramalhões de Hollywood com fantasia à mistura, como o mítico “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Ingvild Rishøi padece do mesmo tique que o seu compatriota Jon Fosse, a síndrome do “eu disse, ele disse, eu disse, eu disse”, mas enquanto nele se tornou imagem de marca, nesta autora é apenas irritante e condescendente, como se num diálogo entre duas personagens não se percebesse que quando não é uma a falar… adivinhem?... pois, é a outra.
A Melissa, de 16 anos, e a Ronja, de 10, saiu-lhes na rifa o pior pai possível, um bêbedo que não consegue manter um emprego e alimenta as filhas a cereais nos dias maus e a esparguete nos dias menos maus. Quando perde o trabalho a vender árvores de Natal depois de pedir um adiantamento que estoira no bar, é a filha mais velha que o substitui. Apesar da ajuda de várias almas caridosas, está iminente a chegada da Protecção de Menores, pelo que as duas raparigas se escondem durante a noite, a meio de uma tempestade, debaixo de um enorme pinheiro de Natal que as transporta para um sítio seguro. Que lugar é esse? A ilha com que sonhavam, porque os milagres existem mesmo? Ou o céu, porque morreram de hipotermia, como a protagonista da história de Natal mais triste do mundo, “A Menina dos Fósforos”, de Hans Christian Andersen, que também é referida nesta novela?

Then she said she was Tommy’s slave, and Tommy was Eriksen’s slave, and Eriksen, he was a slave too, he was just too stupid to realise, but he was a slave to Christmas and Jesus and Christianity, and for the matter the whole Christianity was slave to capitalism.

[Johan Kronquist]

Ingvild H. Rishøi - Stargate: En julberättelse, flo förlag 2021. Översättning av Marie Lundquist. Omslag (och vykort) av Martin Jacobson.

Om Rishøis gripande novellsamling ”Vinternoveller”, som utkom på flo förlag 2018, skrev jag bl a att ”karaktärerna bygger bo i läsarens bröst”, att hon ”skriver om människorna alla andra glömt bort” och misstänkte att Rishøi själv höll till i en förtrollad skrivarverkstad.

Allt det där skulle jag också kunna säga om nya — och första — romanen ”Stargate”. En liten komprimerad julsaga om två systrar som bor ensamma med en alkoholiserad far. Han försöker skärpa sig, tar jobb som julgransförsäljare, men faller i spritens gap igen redan efter ett första förskott. Storasyster Melissa tar över jobbet och lillasyster Ronja, jagberättaren här, som såklart går i skolan, har också egna idéer om att bidra.

Det hela utvecklar sig till en modern saga eller tragedi, om ni vill; som en korsning av Astrid Lindgren, H. C. Andersen och diskbänksrealism. Språket är rakt och enkelt, dialogdrivet med sällsynt trovärdighet, och styckena är korta och rappa. Det lockar till sträckläsning. En typ av litteratur jag vanligtvis inte så lätt charmas av. Men är det bra så är det. Marie Lundquists översättning flyter också självklart på, förment osynlig.

Som i alla sagor finns här onda och goda och rentav tre vise män. Och här finns plats för såväl tårar som skratt. Det flirtas lite med äldre kända berättelser, men utan att ta fokus från den vi har framför oss. Naturligtvis saknas inte heller magiska inslag. Faktum är att ”Stargate” innehåller allt som kan göra den till en framtida julklassiker. Inklusive granar, bacon, öl och Havrefras. Men framförallt en stark berättelse – om klass och kapital.

[☆LaurA☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

«I miracoli capitano», diceva sempre il custode. «A volte non c’è altra via d’uscita, e allora capita un miracolo.»

Ma qui possiamo parlare di miracoli?
La piccola fiammiferaia in chiave moderna.

Immaginate un bosco di abeti, un sentiero di neve battuta, uno stagno, una collina dove una volpe ha fatto la tana, uno steccato, una baita con i suoi gradini. Uno spiazzo davanti alla baita, la mattina. Il sole brilla su tutte le cose. E la sera, la luce bassa e gialla in mezzo ai tronchi.

Ora aprite gli occhi e guardate la realtà; una bambina di dieci anni, una ragazza di diciassette, un padre alcolizzato, un sacco di debiti, il frigo e la dispensa vuoti, le bollette da pagare, i lavori che non durano che un soffio, gli assistenti sociali.

Viviamo tutto attraverso le parole della piccola Ronja, l' accompagniamo a scuola, al lavoro da sua sorella, anche alla Porta delle stelle, che altro non è che il bar dove il padre perde i sensi.

Una tristezza infinita, che ti sbatte in faccia quello che ancora oggi molti bambini e adolescenti sono costretti a subire per gli errori dei grandi, per non saper mettere a freno un vizio di merda come quello dell' alcol.

[Heba]

سددت كرة من الحزن في قلبي.....💔

[Victorian Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta ha sido la lectura revelación de mis Navidades. Desde el principio me atrajo mucho la sinopsis (niña que pertenece a una familia en riesgo de exclusión y cuyo sueño es tener su propio árbol de Navidad) y me esperaba que fuera un relato tierno, ligero y emocionante... pero ha resultado ser bastante más profundo y conmovedor.
Está narrado en primera persona por la protagonista, una niña que aún coserva la inocencia a pesar de vivir en un entorno terrible, y es imposible no caer rendido ante sus encantos.
Además, una de las cosas que más me han gustado es que se trata de una adaptación libre (o quizá un homenaje) a uno de los cuentos tradicionales navideños más conocidos de la tradición escandinava. Y, como el original, es una historia que va directa al corazón. Contra todo pronóstico, se coló en mis mejores lecturas del año. ¡Muy recomendable!

RESEÑA COMPLETA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU01T...

[Ingvild L. Røkke (ingvildleser) · Rating 5 out of 5]

«- Undere kan skje, pleide vaktmesteren å si. - Noen ganger finnes det bare ingen annen utvei, og da skjer et under.»

«Stargate-en julefortelling» er en trist og hjerteskjærende, men samtidig varm og fin julefortelling om de svakeste i samfunnet! Historien fortelles fra et barneperspektiv, og det er Ronja som er ti år som forteller. Det er en fortelling om barn og fulle folk og sannheten.

Fortellingen inneholder elementer av magisk realisme, og er en moderne versjon av H.C. Andersens eventyr: «piken med svovelstikkene».

[Ief Stuyvaert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timing is alles.

Geen beter moment dus om deze Noorse parabel te lezen dan op 25 december.

Geen geschikter ogenblik om Ronja - Roversdochter - in je toch al net iets breder openstaande hart te sluiten.

Ja, het kan hier en daar een halve pagina een béétje melig zijn, maar melig màg op deze regenachtige kerstzondag. Meer nog: melig moét. En zoet? Nee, zeemzoet wordt het nooit.

Er zitten namelijk ruim voldoende speldenprikken in het boek. En dennennaalden in je onderbroek.

Eén sterre bleef stille staan.

De vier andere zijn voor deze Stargate.