What do you think?
Rate this book
This Is All He Asks of You
Spanning Norway, Washington DC and Greece, This Is All He Asks of You is a visionary story about letters never sent, life once flowing and now frozen, swim-flying in golden light and the beauty of human connection. Above all, it is a story about how sad it would be if everything became like everything else.
'If you liked Where The Crawdads Sing, you'll love this story on human connection. It's incredibly unique in its storytelling and captivates you from the start.'
The Glitter Guide Magazine.
'Anne Egseth's captivating epistolary novel This Is All He Asks of You is about growing up and finding light in the darkness. Egseth's language is a highlight, packing a great deal of meaning into a limited word count. Precise and evocative... the text is resonant for its openness. A stirring novel about exploring life, loss, and spirituality.' 5 Stars - Foreword Literary Review Magazine
'A stunning poetic journey, as told through letters by twelve-year-old Luna, that will make you laugh, cry, and crave the feeling of light.' 5 Stars - Reedsy Discovery
'Anne Egseth's first novel, This Is All He Asks of You, is a coming of age story for all ages. It is poignant, profound, and beautifully written. Egseth's style is suitably simple for an adolescent narrator, yet subtle enough to capture the nuances of one awakening to the spark of the divine within all things. This is All He Asks of You is luminous.'
Gerald R Stanek, Visionary Fiction Alliance
'This Is All He Asks of You is a heart-warming epistolary work that celebrates the beauty in the simple things in life. Heart-breaking yet still filled with hope, This Is All He Asks of You by Anne Egseth is an unforgettable story told through the words of a charming main character.'
5 Stars -Readers Favorite.
'If you liked Where The Crawdads Sing, you'll love this story on human connection. It's incredibly unique in its storytelling and captivates you from the start.'
The Glitter Guide Magazine.
'Anne Egseth's captivating epistolary novel This Is All He Asks of You is about growing up and finding light in the darkness. Egseth's language is a highlight, packing a great deal of meaning into a limited word count. Precise and evocative... the text is resonant for its openness. A stirring novel about exploring life, loss, and spirituality.' 5 Stars - Foreword Literary Review Magazine
'A stunning poetic journey, as told through letters by twelve-year-old Luna, that will make you laugh, cry, and crave the feeling of light.' 5 Stars - Reedsy Discovery
'Anne Egseth's first novel, This Is All He Asks of You, is a coming of age story for all ages. It is poignant, profound, and beautifully written. Egseth's style is suitably simple for an adolescent narrator, yet subtle enough to capture the nuances of one awakening to the spark of the divine within all things. This is All He Asks of You is luminous.'
Gerald R Stanek, Visionary Fiction Alliance
'This Is All He Asks of You is a heart-warming epistolary work that celebrates the beauty in the simple things in life. Heart-breaking yet still filled with hope, This Is All He Asks of You by Anne Egseth is an unforgettable story told through the words of a charming main character.'
5 Stars -Readers Favorite.
- GenresFictionLiterary Fiction
152 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2020
5 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Anne Egseth
1 book28 followersGrowing up in Norway, Anne Egseth moved to London to become a classically trained actress. After performing for two decades in theaters in the UK and Scandinavia, she relocated to Washington DC where she started writing, teaching and coaching. She now lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and daughter. This Is All He Asks of You is her debut novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
May 5, 2020
Two things drew me to this book. I love epistolary novels and child narrators always affect me with their combination of innocence and wisdom, but what sealed the deal, and made me request an advanced copy of this book was the mention in the brief description of “human connection”. That’s what so much of life is about all of the time, but it feels especially important during this time when it’s difficult to be with family and friends. We visit in driveways and open spaces sitting apart with our masks on or touch the screen wishing we could hug. Virtual hugs and air kisses don’t seem enough, but they offer us a bit of the normal. I may be digressing, but it was hard not to think about this while reading.
Twelve year old Luna’s letters written to the father she never knows, beautifully and painfully express that need for connecting with each other. I’m not sure this one will be for everyone. It’s sometimes hard to believe that these profound thoughts are those of a twelve year old girl, but at the same time, there is something so genuine and innocent here . She’s lonely and afraid , grieving, needing someone to connect with. Her only friend was back in Norway until she meets her next door neighbor, Garrick, a Vietnam vet, who walks and walks around his backyard. The gift of friendship that he and Luna share when she is in Washington, DC and then continuing when she returns to Norway where she was born was touching and brought some light to this otherwise sad story. The beautiful gift that Garrick gives to Luna in the end brought tears, but they were good ones.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Roundfire Books through NetGalley.
Twelve year old Luna’s letters written to the father she never knows, beautifully and painfully express that need for connecting with each other. I’m not sure this one will be for everyone. It’s sometimes hard to believe that these profound thoughts are those of a twelve year old girl, but at the same time, there is something so genuine and innocent here . She’s lonely and afraid , grieving, needing someone to connect with. Her only friend was back in Norway until she meets her next door neighbor, Garrick, a Vietnam vet, who walks and walks around his backyard. The gift of friendship that he and Luna share when she is in Washington, DC and then continuing when she returns to Norway where she was born was touching and brought some light to this otherwise sad story. The beautiful gift that Garrick gives to Luna in the end brought tears, but they were good ones.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Roundfire Books through NetGalley.
April 30, 2020
"Have you ever noticed how many kinds of quiet there are in the world?"
There is a certain amount of beauty and pain in letters not sent. The letters are not sent because she didn't want to send them, they were not sent because she didn't know where to send them...
Luna is twelve years old and writing letters to the father she never met. She lives with her Mother who is dying from Cancer. Soon, she will be living with her uncle in Norway but until then she lives with her Mother, befriends her next door neighbor, Garrick and writes letters to her father.
The letters in themselves are quite lovely. They felt like the realistic thoughts of a twelve year old girl who is forced to cope with her Mothers illness. I loved some of her thoughts, especially "I know he is a house cat, but seriously, how can a cat be so out of touch with his instincts."
The book subtly drew me into Luna's world. I loved her friendship with Garrick, her next door neighbor who walked slowly around his lawn. How they both were there for each other and were just what the other needed in their lives.
As Luna grows older, she begins corresponding with Garrick, who has become a dear friend and in the end gives her what she needs most.
I'll admit, I was skeptical after I read the first letter, but this book gently and subtly won me over and stole my heart. Highly recommend!
Thank you to John Hunt Publishing - Roundfire Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
There is a certain amount of beauty and pain in letters not sent. The letters are not sent because she didn't want to send them, they were not sent because she didn't know where to send them...
Luna is twelve years old and writing letters to the father she never met. She lives with her Mother who is dying from Cancer. Soon, she will be living with her uncle in Norway but until then she lives with her Mother, befriends her next door neighbor, Garrick and writes letters to her father.
The letters in themselves are quite lovely. They felt like the realistic thoughts of a twelve year old girl who is forced to cope with her Mothers illness. I loved some of her thoughts, especially "I know he is a house cat, but seriously, how can a cat be so out of touch with his instincts."
The book subtly drew me into Luna's world. I loved her friendship with Garrick, her next door neighbor who walked slowly around his lawn. How they both were there for each other and were just what the other needed in their lives.
As Luna grows older, she begins corresponding with Garrick, who has become a dear friend and in the end gives her what she needs most.
I'll admit, I was skeptical after I read the first letter, but this book gently and subtly won me over and stole my heart. Highly recommend!
Thank you to John Hunt Publishing - Roundfire Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 1, 2021
4.5 My last book of 2020. I finished this last night with a big sigh. What a beautifully written, endearing story. Luna, now 22, looks back at her twelve year old self when she and her mother had moved from Norway to Washington DC. She writes her thoughts, observations in a series of letters to a father she never knew. She is lonely, but also thoughtful, curious and sees things other don't. Realizes, questions and discovers things many, years older never manage. She first observes and then meets a neighbor, an older man, a Vietnam war vet, who will come to mean much in her life.
A special book and light will be recurring motifs in this heartwarming novel. It does have a melancholy tone but ends with a poignant and hopeful note. The writing is gorgeous, the prose, the lines a joy to read. A wonderful book to end a very unsettled year.
"And he said that we can all let light enter into us, become us. He said it was a bit like eating sunshine."
"This is all he asks of you, that you live and respond to his grace in the here and now."
A special book and light will be recurring motifs in this heartwarming novel. It does have a melancholy tone but ends with a poignant and hopeful note. The writing is gorgeous, the prose, the lines a joy to read. A wonderful book to end a very unsettled year.
"And he said that we can all let light enter into us, become us. He said it was a bit like eating sunshine."
"This is all he asks of you, that you live and respond to his grace in the here and now."
June 8, 2020
4.5
Very moving...
12 yr old Luna tells her story mostly in letters that she writes to her father who is unknown to her..she doesn’t remember ever seeing or knowing him, but knows he lives in Greece from what she’s been told.
As she continues writing these letters we learn more about her life. She feels as she is different from others and she’s always searching for “the light” When something feels right to her, she gets a beeping in her ear.
Her mother is ailing and she becomes friends to a Vietnam Vet who lives next door, Garrick.. he seems to be fighting some demons himself, but this ends up being such a beautiful friendship and he is real rock for her as parts of her life crumble, he is there to see her through.
This is a story that encompasses nature, loneliness, and the power of light and love in our lives.
Thank you to Netgalley and John Hunt Publishing and Roundfire Books for the ARC!
Very moving...
12 yr old Luna tells her story mostly in letters that she writes to her father who is unknown to her..she doesn’t remember ever seeing or knowing him, but knows he lives in Greece from what she’s been told.
As she continues writing these letters we learn more about her life. She feels as she is different from others and she’s always searching for “the light” When something feels right to her, she gets a beeping in her ear.
Her mother is ailing and she becomes friends to a Vietnam Vet who lives next door, Garrick.. he seems to be fighting some demons himself, but this ends up being such a beautiful friendship and he is real rock for her as parts of her life crumble, he is there to see her through.
This is a story that encompasses nature, loneliness, and the power of light and love in our lives.
Thank you to Netgalley and John Hunt Publishing and Roundfire Books for the ARC!
April 20, 2020
I read this story...a collection of letters... like drinking a large glass of delicious spring water. The writing is pure - simple - heart wrenching and luminous.
Anne Egseth inspired me with her debut. Told through the eyes of a twelve year old girl...Luna. She writes letters to her Dad....to wherever he may be in the world.
Occasionally she asks her dad a question in the letters that she’s writing.
“You have blue eyes as well, Dad, right?”
“Mom sometimes tells me that I have your eyes. If that is so, we must be seeing the same kind of things”.
Well, mom is dying. Luna knows she will be alone soon.
In the letters to her dad... she wrote about the storms, birds, trees, Thanksgiving, her best friend, her neighbor, her uncle, feeling sick or scared, about her mother’s illness, and how quiet the world is sometimes.
Luna also wrote about how her mother taught her to be grateful for life.
When Luna’s mother died she stopped writing.
The first time she picked up a pen to write again she was 22 years of age. She no longer wrote to her dad. She wrote for herself.
The stories within these pages...honors the innocence of children everywhere - their sharp eye observations - their courage - and resilience.
The adult Luna was back living in Norway, ( her birthplace), with her Uncle.
Now she writes to her neighbor- ( exchanging letters), with Garrick , a Vietnam vet who was very kind to Luna when she was a child...when she and her mother lived in Washington.
Once a week Luna and Garrick shared a phone call....( until he passed away)...
Garrick told Luna about the changes happening in the United States, about Obama, about the war in Afghanistan, about government shut downs, the Affordable Care Act, and the Dalai Lama at the White
House. He talk to her about Trump, the walls, immigration and gun laws.
They talked about women who took to the streets.
The bulk of the story .... is about a young girl trying to understand and find meaning in which the world she lives. Thousands of books have been written from a child’s perspective- their longings, hopes, despair, struggles, connections to others and our natural world....
But....
There is only one book written about Luna! PURE LOVE!
The warmth, and complexity of this story is gorgeous.
Anne Egseth inspired me with her debut. Told through the eyes of a twelve year old girl...Luna. She writes letters to her Dad....to wherever he may be in the world.
Occasionally she asks her dad a question in the letters that she’s writing.
“You have blue eyes as well, Dad, right?”
“Mom sometimes tells me that I have your eyes. If that is so, we must be seeing the same kind of things”.
Well, mom is dying. Luna knows she will be alone soon.
In the letters to her dad... she wrote about the storms, birds, trees, Thanksgiving, her best friend, her neighbor, her uncle, feeling sick or scared, about her mother’s illness, and how quiet the world is sometimes.
Luna also wrote about how her mother taught her to be grateful for life.
When Luna’s mother died she stopped writing.
The first time she picked up a pen to write again she was 22 years of age. She no longer wrote to her dad. She wrote for herself.
The stories within these pages...honors the innocence of children everywhere - their sharp eye observations - their courage - and resilience.
The adult Luna was back living in Norway, ( her birthplace), with her Uncle.
Now she writes to her neighbor- ( exchanging letters), with Garrick , a Vietnam vet who was very kind to Luna when she was a child...when she and her mother lived in Washington.
Once a week Luna and Garrick shared a phone call....( until he passed away)...
Garrick told Luna about the changes happening in the United States, about Obama, about the war in Afghanistan, about government shut downs, the Affordable Care Act, and the Dalai Lama at the White
House. He talk to her about Trump, the walls, immigration and gun laws.
They talked about women who took to the streets.
The bulk of the story .... is about a young girl trying to understand and find meaning in which the world she lives. Thousands of books have been written from a child’s perspective- their longings, hopes, despair, struggles, connections to others and our natural world....
But....
There is only one book written about Luna! PURE LOVE!
The warmth, and complexity of this story is gorgeous.
October 19, 2020
Anne Egseth has joined us in our Behind the Pages Group for a spoiler-free Q & A. She gave us some great insight into her story! You can view the Q & A here
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
This Is All He Asks of You is my kind of quiet story! It’s the kind of story that spoke to me in a quiet, inspiring way. It’s the kind of story that needed me to quiet my mind and take in the words I am reading. It’s the kind of story I love to delve into the beauty that is being shown to me. It’s the kind of book you will want to find a quiet place to be swept away and get lost in the words you are reading.
“Have you noticed how many kinds of quiet there are in the world?”
There are a few themes explored while packed into the 134 pages. Anne Egseth knows how to use words to deliver us a profound, beautifully written story. Being short, it seemed like it would be a quick one to read; however, there is so much shown us in the written words to the story, it took some focus to breathe in the beauty of the words. Some words I needed to delve into the story to see and others flowed right into my heart. When I first started reading the story, I did not give it the time needed, and I lost focus with the noise in my head. When I realized I was missing something, I went back and started it again. I am so glad I gave it the time I need to connect to it profoundly.
“It is a story about how sad it would be if everything became like everything else.”
The story explores human connections, connections with each other and also with nature. The first part of the story is told through unsent letters from 12-year-old Luna to her father she never met. She longs for a connection with her father and a connection to someone who see the world as she does. Through the letters, we see how different Luna is from what is expected from a 12-year-old character and at first that threw me off and then I started to see the gifts Luna gives us with her curiosity, imagination and sensitivity to people and the world around her. It is refreshing to see a character who is not performing an expected role but one that shows how different we can be from each other and how different we can see the world around us.
“I can see and feel the waves created by other people. The waves move me. I know who you are, not their names or what they like for dinner, but the particular feeling there is in the light they have in them.” Luna
In the second part of the story, Luna is 22 years old and she goes on a journey to find that 12-year-old girl’s light she has lost in herself. What she finds is not what she expects and the story wraps up well. I felt like my heart stopped as I breathed in the words I was reading! I will be thinking about this one for a long time! I highly recommend it!
“When you read this you will feel the thick, golden air behind my words, and you will know me” Luna
I have to mention that stunning cover! That alone takes my breath away! Oh, and the title itself is thought-provoking!!
I received stunning print copies from Anne Egseth to read and review!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
This Is All He Asks of You is my kind of quiet story! It’s the kind of story that spoke to me in a quiet, inspiring way. It’s the kind of story that needed me to quiet my mind and take in the words I am reading. It’s the kind of story I love to delve into the beauty that is being shown to me. It’s the kind of book you will want to find a quiet place to be swept away and get lost in the words you are reading.
“Have you noticed how many kinds of quiet there are in the world?”
There are a few themes explored while packed into the 134 pages. Anne Egseth knows how to use words to deliver us a profound, beautifully written story. Being short, it seemed like it would be a quick one to read; however, there is so much shown us in the written words to the story, it took some focus to breathe in the beauty of the words. Some words I needed to delve into the story to see and others flowed right into my heart. When I first started reading the story, I did not give it the time needed, and I lost focus with the noise in my head. When I realized I was missing something, I went back and started it again. I am so glad I gave it the time I need to connect to it profoundly.
“It is a story about how sad it would be if everything became like everything else.”
The story explores human connections, connections with each other and also with nature. The first part of the story is told through unsent letters from 12-year-old Luna to her father she never met. She longs for a connection with her father and a connection to someone who see the world as she does. Through the letters, we see how different Luna is from what is expected from a 12-year-old character and at first that threw me off and then I started to see the gifts Luna gives us with her curiosity, imagination and sensitivity to people and the world around her. It is refreshing to see a character who is not performing an expected role but one that shows how different we can be from each other and how different we can see the world around us.
“I can see and feel the waves created by other people. The waves move me. I know who you are, not their names or what they like for dinner, but the particular feeling there is in the light they have in them.” Luna
In the second part of the story, Luna is 22 years old and she goes on a journey to find that 12-year-old girl’s light she has lost in herself. What she finds is not what she expects and the story wraps up well. I felt like my heart stopped as I breathed in the words I was reading! I will be thinking about this one for a long time! I highly recommend it!
“When you read this you will feel the thick, golden air behind my words, and you will know me” Luna
I have to mention that stunning cover! That alone takes my breath away! Oh, and the title itself is thought-provoking!!
I received stunning print copies from Anne Egseth to read and review!
May 9, 2020
A story that travels back and forth through time, from Norway in 2018, to Washington, DC in 2007 where it remains for the majority of this story. A story told mainly through the letters that twelve year-old Luna writes to her father, a father she has never met. A story of a young girl that is not only profoundly poignant, lovely, it has a sense of poetry and grace that seems so true to what this young girl is going through in her life.
’This is my attempt to create chronology, continuity and coherence out of a time I had wiped out of my memory. I don’t claim this is exactly what it was; this is me weaving a net of words, trying to catch this elusive, slippery voice from the past. I am following the thread back to a frozen girl buried deep inside my body; a twelve-year old who disappeared the day the light went out. As I write I remember, and as I remember, I create.’
As this story begins, she has just received a parcel, a shoe-box filled with the letters she had written but never sent, poems, photographs, even homework from her childhood, sent to her by an old friend, someone who kept it for her for ten years, and sends it to her at her Uncle’s in Norway, where she is staying. Words she had forgotten that she ever wrote, and it’s through these words that she remembers those days when she was twelve.
’I imagine that the trees are my family. The Oak in our backyard is a kind grandfather. I sit with my back against his strong trunk when I feel small. The Ash tree is speedy and brave, a superhero big brother, shooting fiery branches up towards the sky. There is an Ash down in the park that I sometimes visit when I’m feeling scared and don’t know what to do. The Azaleas in our front yard may not be trees, but I think of them as my beautiful cousins who come to visit in the spring, all dressed up in amazing red. The Cherry trees along our street are my aunties, and when they bloom my head spins with happiness, as they are the most beautiful aunties I could ever wish for.’
Living next door to Luna is a Vietnam Vet, a man she watches as he snail walks…very, very slowly, a man her mother, who is frequently not feeling well, dislikes. When her mother’s illness sends her to the hospital, he takes care of Luna, and eventually they become friends, a temporary, guardian / friend.
Luna is such a remarkable child, and her story is shared through beautiful prose, but this is a story that deserves to just be experienced for what it is - a lovely, moving story, one that I couldn’t, didn’t put down, and one I highly recommend.
Many thanks to Angela, whose review prompted me to read this:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pub Date: 29 May 2020
Many thanks for the ARC provided by John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
’This is my attempt to create chronology, continuity and coherence out of a time I had wiped out of my memory. I don’t claim this is exactly what it was; this is me weaving a net of words, trying to catch this elusive, slippery voice from the past. I am following the thread back to a frozen girl buried deep inside my body; a twelve-year old who disappeared the day the light went out. As I write I remember, and as I remember, I create.’
As this story begins, she has just received a parcel, a shoe-box filled with the letters she had written but never sent, poems, photographs, even homework from her childhood, sent to her by an old friend, someone who kept it for her for ten years, and sends it to her at her Uncle’s in Norway, where she is staying. Words she had forgotten that she ever wrote, and it’s through these words that she remembers those days when she was twelve.
’I imagine that the trees are my family. The Oak in our backyard is a kind grandfather. I sit with my back against his strong trunk when I feel small. The Ash tree is speedy and brave, a superhero big brother, shooting fiery branches up towards the sky. There is an Ash down in the park that I sometimes visit when I’m feeling scared and don’t know what to do. The Azaleas in our front yard may not be trees, but I think of them as my beautiful cousins who come to visit in the spring, all dressed up in amazing red. The Cherry trees along our street are my aunties, and when they bloom my head spins with happiness, as they are the most beautiful aunties I could ever wish for.’
Living next door to Luna is a Vietnam Vet, a man she watches as he snail walks…very, very slowly, a man her mother, who is frequently not feeling well, dislikes. When her mother’s illness sends her to the hospital, he takes care of Luna, and eventually they become friends, a temporary, guardian / friend.
Luna is such a remarkable child, and her story is shared through beautiful prose, but this is a story that deserves to just be experienced for what it is - a lovely, moving story, one that I couldn’t, didn’t put down, and one I highly recommend.
Many thanks to Angela, whose review prompted me to read this:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pub Date: 29 May 2020
Many thanks for the ARC provided by John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
September 29, 2020
2.5 stars.
A child’s love letters to the father she longs to know.
Twelve-year-old Luna writes her estranged father letters. These letters are never sent but they are created from the depths of a young girls’ innocent mind and heart. Luna longs to know her father and hopes to discover more about herself by building a relationship with him one day. Luna has many questions for her father about the world, herself, her family and heritage. She is a young girl lost in the world with no sense of true belonging. These letters are presented to the reader by the author who now, ten years later, rediscovers them and analyzes her twelve-year-old former self. This novel is as much a self reflection as it is self discovery.
It was sad to read about Luna’s struggles with her sense of self and belonging. Her letters were innocent, heart felt, strange and confusing. Often, I got lost in the randomness of her thoughts and never quite reached the point of feeling a true connection. I appreciate that this book gives a voice to her young self and will allow other readers to sympathize and emotionally connect, however, it missed its mark with me.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy to read and review!
A child’s love letters to the father she longs to know.
Twelve-year-old Luna writes her estranged father letters. These letters are never sent but they are created from the depths of a young girls’ innocent mind and heart. Luna longs to know her father and hopes to discover more about herself by building a relationship with him one day. Luna has many questions for her father about the world, herself, her family and heritage. She is a young girl lost in the world with no sense of true belonging. These letters are presented to the reader by the author who now, ten years later, rediscovers them and analyzes her twelve-year-old former self. This novel is as much a self reflection as it is self discovery.
It was sad to read about Luna’s struggles with her sense of self and belonging. Her letters were innocent, heart felt, strange and confusing. Often, I got lost in the randomness of her thoughts and never quite reached the point of feeling a true connection. I appreciate that this book gives a voice to her young self and will allow other readers to sympathize and emotionally connect, however, it missed its mark with me.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy to read and review!
February 12, 2021
Amazing writing!!!
I haven't read a book this good in such a long time!
I am so impressed!
This book gave me all the 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' kind of feels. And wow, the narration is so amazing!
This is one of those books you will not ask much about the plot or the storyline. This is one of those rare books where the book just takes you to someplace which will cocoon you to feel something nice and warm even though your heart is breaking inside of you.
Let not the book cover deceive you. The content is just rare art.
As I have said before, this is the kind of book which I will not tell you what the story is about. The description does well as long as the book goes. But it's the narration that will just take you deeper and deeper until there's no going back. It's like seeping your favourite cup of tea. Sometimes it just scalds you, because of the burn. Sometimes it just understands you because you know the taste. The character feels so real that you will feel like she is right next to you telling you her story.
I just love this book. It seems like it's a biography almost!
You have to read this one to feel it.
It feels so real and genuine.
Trigger warning though: some parts you might find disturbing regarding dead and grief parts.
Thank you #NetGalley for the book #ThisIsAllHeAsksOfYou
I haven't read a book this good in such a long time!
I am so impressed!
This book gave me all the 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' kind of feels. And wow, the narration is so amazing!
This is one of those books you will not ask much about the plot or the storyline. This is one of those rare books where the book just takes you to someplace which will cocoon you to feel something nice and warm even though your heart is breaking inside of you.
Let not the book cover deceive you. The content is just rare art.
As I have said before, this is the kind of book which I will not tell you what the story is about. The description does well as long as the book goes. But it's the narration that will just take you deeper and deeper until there's no going back. It's like seeping your favourite cup of tea. Sometimes it just scalds you, because of the burn. Sometimes it just understands you because you know the taste. The character feels so real that you will feel like she is right next to you telling you her story.
I just love this book. It seems like it's a biography almost!
You have to read this one to feel it.
It feels so real and genuine.
Trigger warning though: some parts you might find disturbing regarding dead and grief parts.
Thank you #NetGalley for the book #ThisIsAllHeAsksOfYou
May 15, 2020
Thank you to the author for an advance copy of this book and thank you to Goodreads friend Elyse for telling me about this book and introducing me to the author.
I loved a lot about this book.
The writing is lovely and poetic and at times almost like stream of consciousness of Luna’s thoughts and feelings and did a fabulous job of conveying Luna’s experience.
This book covers a gamut of emotions. At times it is heart wrenching but it’s also heartwarming. There is wonderful humor. There were several times that I laughed out loud and many other times that I smiled. The situation with Luna’s mother and with her father too tore at my heart and the sense of immediacy is so strong since the reader is getting all the impressions directly from Luna.
I enjoy child narrators and 12 year old Luna is a wonderful, perspicacious narrator. She’s a perfect mix of being wise and being innocent. I love her thoughtful, introspective nature and her ability to be discerning. She’s observant of her environment and herself and other people both other kids and especially adults. I appreciate and admire how she greatly cares about having deep, genuine relationships.
Luna reminded me of how I experienced nature as a child. Those parts were lovely. The “air swimming” I remember from my dreams. The trees. The sea. Everything.
Luna is an endearing character.
I love some of the other characters too. Garrick in particular is memorable and now one of my favorite characters in literature. I adore him.
I appreciated how loss was gotten across, for a sensitive child, including at times a rush of feelings and times of numbness, and how those feelings and lack thereof can persist. I thought that was portrayed realistically and in a psychologically sound way.
I liked the inclusion of what I call walking meditation into this story.
Most of what I liked less, the philosophical and spiritual aspects, I suspect most people will like more than I did. I think that most people do consider themselves spiritual in some ways and have beliefs I do not have and those portions did not resonate with me but I think will with most readers. The philosophy I found interesting but I didn’t personally identify with it. The man and his writing were mentioned so often that I made a point of looking up Jacques Lusseyran. He was a fascinating man with an riveting story. I’m not sure I like having him and his beliefs be at the heart of a novel, but I admit it made for a unique and a fascinating way to help tell the story. The novel seemed a tad too philosophy heavy to me though. Also, for me the ending was in some ways too easily wrapped up and in some ways not wrapped up as much as I’d wanted. Overall I guess it was satisfying enough.
I did really like the book. It’s an unusual book and I like books that are a bit different.
I loved a lot about this book.
The writing is lovely and poetic and at times almost like stream of consciousness of Luna’s thoughts and feelings and did a fabulous job of conveying Luna’s experience.
This book covers a gamut of emotions. At times it is heart wrenching but it’s also heartwarming. There is wonderful humor. There were several times that I laughed out loud and many other times that I smiled. The situation with Luna’s mother and with her father too tore at my heart and the sense of immediacy is so strong since the reader is getting all the impressions directly from Luna.
I enjoy child narrators and 12 year old Luna is a wonderful, perspicacious narrator. She’s a perfect mix of being wise and being innocent. I love her thoughtful, introspective nature and her ability to be discerning. She’s observant of her environment and herself and other people both other kids and especially adults. I appreciate and admire how she greatly cares about having deep, genuine relationships.
Luna reminded me of how I experienced nature as a child. Those parts were lovely. The “air swimming” I remember from my dreams. The trees. The sea. Everything.
Luna is an endearing character.
I love some of the other characters too. Garrick in particular is memorable and now one of my favorite characters in literature. I adore him.
I appreciated how loss was gotten across, for a sensitive child, including at times a rush of feelings and times of numbness, and how those feelings and lack thereof can persist. I thought that was portrayed realistically and in a psychologically sound way.
I liked the inclusion of what I call walking meditation into this story.
Most of what I liked less, the philosophical and spiritual aspects, I suspect most people will like more than I did. I think that most people do consider themselves spiritual in some ways and have beliefs I do not have and those portions did not resonate with me but I think will with most readers. The philosophy I found interesting but I didn’t personally identify with it. The man and his writing were mentioned so often that I made a point of looking up Jacques Lusseyran. He was a fascinating man with an riveting story. I’m not sure I like having him and his beliefs be at the heart of a novel, but I admit it made for a unique and a fascinating way to help tell the story. The novel seemed a tad too philosophy heavy to me though. Also, for me the ending was in some ways too easily wrapped up and in some ways not wrapped up as much as I’d wanted. Overall I guess it was satisfying enough.
I did really like the book. It’s an unusual book and I like books that are a bit different.
May 16, 2020
This Is All He Asks of You by Author Anne Egseth Is a story about twelve year old Luna and the letters she has written, but not sent to a father she has never known.
The book is both beautiful and sad, as her mother is dying from Cancer
A story that is realistic and has an innocence in the young girls words and thoughts
Thank to NetGalley, John Hunt Publishing Ltd and Author Anne Egseth For my advanced copy to read in exchange for my review.
The book is both beautiful and sad, as her mother is dying from Cancer
A story that is realistic and has an innocence in the young girls words and thoughts
Thank to NetGalley, John Hunt Publishing Ltd and Author Anne Egseth For my advanced copy to read in exchange for my review.
December 11, 2020
All He Asks of You, by Anne Egseth, is a beautifully written debut novel, and I read it in one sitting. The poetic fluidity of her style reads like art, making it an effortless immersion into Luna's world. The poignancy and dedication to story weaving is lovely. I especially resonated with the spirituality of connecting to self, internal guidance and framing what was...with what remains...through unsent letters to her father. This is a moving fiction novel that will linger in your mind and heart long after it is finished. I personally believe All He Asks of You leaves the reader better than when we began this journey.
One of my favorite sentences is: "I am a boat in the dark sea, following the red tulip of hope." Beautiful imagery.
Highly recommend this book.
One of my favorite sentences is: "I am a boat in the dark sea, following the red tulip of hope." Beautiful imagery.
Highly recommend this book.
April 4, 2020
Oh, what to say about this hauntingly beautiful and lyrical novel? I'm teary-eyed writing this as I just finished, and the book touched me deeply. I love it when John Hunt Publishing sends me an ARC as they seem to intuit what I will like even when I might not have requested the title! This is the story of twelve-year-old Luna who is an enigma; she sees the world differently than other girls her age. There's a humming in her brain that guides her to examine people/things that others don't see or hear. She speaks of the "light" that somehow defines her life and sets her apart from others. Estranged from her father and living with a mother who is ill, she often feels isolated and writes letters to her father even though she has no idea where he is. Meeting a neighbor, Garrick who's a mentally broken Vietnam Vet, we witness her finding solace in the often-unspoken compassion of someone so different from her young self. So many poignant moments as we see her later as a twenty-two-year old who is still searching for answers but finds a way to accept life the way it is. So the heart of the message--especially in these uncertain times when we are all struggling to find meaning in light of tragedy--is to look for that "golden, liquid light" wherever you can find it; embrace and live your life knowing that "this is all He asks of you"!
March 28, 2020
Excellent! This was a totally different read to my norm and cannot recall ever reading anything even remotely similar. It is beautifully written and one which draws you in right from the beginning. It is touching and thought provoking. I have wondered over the years with some of the thoughts that went through 12 yr old Luna's head. This is a story that will stay in my mind for some time to come. Hopefully it will not be too long before there is another book by Anne Egseth. A well deserved five stars. Recommended.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review which i have voluntarily given.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review which i have voluntarily given.
May 6, 2020
Luna reads through letters she wrote as a child and relives the memories of that painful yet precious and formative time in her life. She never knew her father and her mother is now dying, still determined to not share the name of Luna’s father. I loved the fond memories Luna has of her mother but I can’t forgive her for not being forthcoming, especially while on her death bed.
That aspect aside, the walk down memory lane will trigger memories with anyone who has a heart. The eloquent writing, the perspective through a young girl’s eyes, the inevitable end that you know is coming all make this a heartwarming yet difficult read.
The ending was a bit of a surprise, no spoilers here, but I really thought we would end with a nice warm soft blanket wrapped around us. We didn’t. This makes this story so much more relatable. Life isn’t always fair, and Anne Egseth portrays this motto in such an eloquent way.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to John Hunt Publishing and NetGalley for making it available.)
That aspect aside, the walk down memory lane will trigger memories with anyone who has a heart. The eloquent writing, the perspective through a young girl’s eyes, the inevitable end that you know is coming all make this a heartwarming yet difficult read.
The ending was a bit of a surprise, no spoilers here, but I really thought we would end with a nice warm soft blanket wrapped around us. We didn’t. This makes this story so much more relatable. Life isn’t always fair, and Anne Egseth portrays this motto in such an eloquent way.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to John Hunt Publishing and NetGalley for making it available.)
October 29, 2019
Seldom have I read such an extraordinary and thought provoking tale as Anne Egseth's debut novel, 'This is All He Asks of You'.
Although the story opens in Norway in 2018, most of the action takes place over a period of a few months in 2007. There it follows the heartfelt musings of a sensitive, twelve-year-old called Luna, as she writes to her absent father.
Luna lives with her sick mother in Washington DC where, like all girls of her age, she attends school, has a best friend and leads an outwardly normal life. However, Luna isn't like the average twelve year old. She is not only spiritually aware, but also possessed of an inner knowing that makes her perspective of life different to that of others around her, including her mother's.
As the story continues, her mother's illness worsens making Luna increasingly aware of the fragility of life. She is thrown into the company of an outwardly seeming strange and possibly dangerous neighbour, a reclusive Vietnam veteran called, Garrick. A long-lasting bond of friendship develops between these two enlightened souls.
Egseth has a beautifully evocative and unique style of writing; her lyrical prose original and thought provoking. This is particularly noticeable when the intuitive Luna ponders the mystery of being human and expresses profound and quirky sensations like, 'swim-flying' and the 'golden liquid light of being'.
This is an enchanting and imaginative story that will engage anyone of any age- a book that drew me in so completely that I just couldn't put down.
Although the story opens in Norway in 2018, most of the action takes place over a period of a few months in 2007. There it follows the heartfelt musings of a sensitive, twelve-year-old called Luna, as she writes to her absent father.
Luna lives with her sick mother in Washington DC where, like all girls of her age, she attends school, has a best friend and leads an outwardly normal life. However, Luna isn't like the average twelve year old. She is not only spiritually aware, but also possessed of an inner knowing that makes her perspective of life different to that of others around her, including her mother's.
As the story continues, her mother's illness worsens making Luna increasingly aware of the fragility of life. She is thrown into the company of an outwardly seeming strange and possibly dangerous neighbour, a reclusive Vietnam veteran called, Garrick. A long-lasting bond of friendship develops between these two enlightened souls.
Egseth has a beautifully evocative and unique style of writing; her lyrical prose original and thought provoking. This is particularly noticeable when the intuitive Luna ponders the mystery of being human and expresses profound and quirky sensations like, 'swim-flying' and the 'golden liquid light of being'.
This is an enchanting and imaginative story that will engage anyone of any age- a book that drew me in so completely that I just couldn't put down.
May 24, 2020
A lovely story told in the voice of a twelve year old girl. Luna is a child whose mother is dying. Luna longs for her father, who she never met, and she writes letters to him that she will never send. She is a lonesome and afraid little girl but she is also very brave. Her future is uncertain. When Luna’s mother takes a turn for the worse it is the strange neighbor, who she has befriended, who assists her and provides the parental care she needed during this horrific and scary time.
I loved the voice of Luna and I really liked how there is closure in this short book by having Luna reach adulthood at the age of 22. Luna is able to reflect back on her life and to finally reach her goal of finding her father. This is not a large book but it is packed with emotion and nostalgic feelings.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher. This is my unbiased review.
I loved the voice of Luna and I really liked how there is closure in this short book by having Luna reach adulthood at the age of 22. Luna is able to reflect back on her life and to finally reach her goal of finding her father. This is not a large book but it is packed with emotion and nostalgic feelings.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher. This is my unbiased review.
February 3, 2020
Small, yet big
Simple, yet complex
Sad, yet full of hope
A wonderful book that takes me into the thoughts and feelings of a little girl growing up in America, though it starts with meeting the same girl as a young woman in the north of Norway. Growing up north of the artic circle myself, I can relate to the "opposites that goes together", like darkness and light, life and death. The book makes me reflect on many things in life, on many levels, and it takes me back to my own childhood, makes me remember my own thoughts and feelings. Being small doesn't mean being insignificant. I too did swimfly. I was fascinated by Luna's story and I want to read more about her. I loved the unexpected ending. Anne Egseth writes in a wonderful way and I really look forward to her next book.
Simple, yet complex
Sad, yet full of hope
A wonderful book that takes me into the thoughts and feelings of a little girl growing up in America, though it starts with meeting the same girl as a young woman in the north of Norway. Growing up north of the artic circle myself, I can relate to the "opposites that goes together", like darkness and light, life and death. The book makes me reflect on many things in life, on many levels, and it takes me back to my own childhood, makes me remember my own thoughts and feelings. Being small doesn't mean being insignificant. I too did swimfly. I was fascinated by Luna's story and I want to read more about her. I loved the unexpected ending. Anne Egseth writes in a wonderful way and I really look forward to her next book.
November 1, 2019
When I was young I often sought refuge in nature. During those times I felt enveloped in something sacred that is difficult to name. The feeling I got reading this book was a similar experience. This is all He Asks of You is a beautiful story of realizing that sacred aspect of life. Anne Egseth's poetic writing captivated me from the start and held me throughout.
February 4, 2020
Anne Egseth has beautifully captured the importance and necessity of connection (to oneself, to others, and to the world around us) in this heartfelt story. Her gift of bringing a felt sense of our humanness into words that are accessible shines through this story. This story offers us another perspective and intimate experience to life and stays with you long after the last page.
February 9, 2020
I was moved by this book, both by the simplicity of the writing as well as the beautiful yet painful story at its heart. It is rare to read a first novel by a writer which manages to get a grip on you so quickly and does it in a completely unpretensious way. Kudos to Anne Egseth for that! I was lucky to be given an advance copy of this book by the author
November 5, 2019
THIS IS ALL
HE ASKS OF YOU
Anne Egseth
Anne offers us an existential song from the heart of a 12 year old girl who chooses to live by her own graces rather than subscribe to the limits of her family’s difficult circumstances. We are treated to living with Luna as she inhales the universe in her unique way of tasting the fullness of life through her never ending curiosity. Estranged from her she is able to honor him daily to keep him in her life. Even her mother's health problems do not stop her from living fully with her innocent wisdom that matches many a sage. As a psychotherapist I can see what an amazing lesson we are given in how we could all live if we, like this 12-year old, respected the universe to give us the strength to do what we are asked. And many thanks to Anne for taking us into Luna’s heart to live intimately with her as she persevered in all that was asked of her.
Tom Walsh, Poet
Author: “Insights Along the Way”
“Innate Rapture”,
“Awakening As Light”
HE ASKS OF YOU
Anne Egseth
Anne offers us an existential song from the heart of a 12 year old girl who chooses to live by her own graces rather than subscribe to the limits of her family’s difficult circumstances. We are treated to living with Luna as she inhales the universe in her unique way of tasting the fullness of life through her never ending curiosity. Estranged from her she is able to honor him daily to keep him in her life. Even her mother's health problems do not stop her from living fully with her innocent wisdom that matches many a sage. As a psychotherapist I can see what an amazing lesson we are given in how we could all live if we, like this 12-year old, respected the universe to give us the strength to do what we are asked. And many thanks to Anne for taking us into Luna’s heart to live intimately with her as she persevered in all that was asked of her.
Tom Walsh, Poet
Author: “Insights Along the Way”
“Innate Rapture”,
“Awakening As Light”
May 10, 2020
This Is All He Asks of You focuses on the story of Luna, a young girl who expresses her reality living with a terminally ill mother through a series of letters she writes to a father she has never met. Wise beyond her years, you feel as if you are living inside the skin of this young girl, where you see what she sees and feels what she feels in all its beauty and melancholy.
Her letters are incredibly moving.
She questions the fine line between life and death, "I wonder what happens to the light I see in people's bodies after they die";
..the importance of living in the moment,
"..nothing was complicated. If I just focused on the taste of the drink, and on the pie, and on the neighbour across from me, then everything was simple, and it felt good in my whole body, like honey"
..and she wonders what her father is like, “Mom sometimes tells me that I have your eyes. If that is so, we must be seeing the same kind of things.”
She feels responsible for her mother and the illness that is stealing her away, and yet feels helpless and angry with the father she doesn’t know. “I am only twelve years old,” she tells him, and “I wouldn’t have had to listen to all of this if you were around”.
Reading for me is not only about plot, but it’s the dance of the words and this book is a ballet! You feel that Anne Egseth has carefully and lovingly placed every word on the page, and in line with the strong theme of the ocean in the book, you can’t help feel that you are floating upon the prose, being gently led throughout the story.
I also love how the author has linked Luna’s nightmares of rescuing her mother from the dark sea with the lives lost in the ocean of refugees trying to make their way to safety from their nightmares in their home countries.
One critique I would make is I would have loved the story to continue a little longer. I feel that the book comes to an abrupt ending. We have experienced all of Luna’s thoughts getting to this point and I would have loved to stay in her head a little longer as she processed the new direction her life was taking as a young woman.
This is a remarkable first novel by Egseth, one that I know will keep on giving with a re-read. I haven’t stopped thinking of Luna since, to be honest. I really look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
Her letters are incredibly moving.
She questions the fine line between life and death, "I wonder what happens to the light I see in people's bodies after they die";
..the importance of living in the moment,
"..nothing was complicated. If I just focused on the taste of the drink, and on the pie, and on the neighbour across from me, then everything was simple, and it felt good in my whole body, like honey"
..and she wonders what her father is like, “Mom sometimes tells me that I have your eyes. If that is so, we must be seeing the same kind of things.”
She feels responsible for her mother and the illness that is stealing her away, and yet feels helpless and angry with the father she doesn’t know. “I am only twelve years old,” she tells him, and “I wouldn’t have had to listen to all of this if you were around”.
Reading for me is not only about plot, but it’s the dance of the words and this book is a ballet! You feel that Anne Egseth has carefully and lovingly placed every word on the page, and in line with the strong theme of the ocean in the book, you can’t help feel that you are floating upon the prose, being gently led throughout the story.
I also love how the author has linked Luna’s nightmares of rescuing her mother from the dark sea with the lives lost in the ocean of refugees trying to make their way to safety from their nightmares in their home countries.
One critique I would make is I would have loved the story to continue a little longer. I feel that the book comes to an abrupt ending. We have experienced all of Luna’s thoughts getting to this point and I would have loved to stay in her head a little longer as she processed the new direction her life was taking as a young woman.
This is a remarkable first novel by Egseth, one that I know will keep on giving with a re-read. I haven’t stopped thinking of Luna since, to be honest. I really look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 14, 2020
“For three months now, instead of studying for my exams, I have been sitting at my white desk, alternating between staring at the ghostly landscape outside and sifting through the words of a twelve-year-old me.”
Luna receives a box containing letters she wrote to her unknown father back when she was twelve years old. As she reads these letters, she unravels long-forgotten memories and discovers the true gift of connecting with others. The more she delves into her younger self, the clearer she understands life, both physically and spiritually.
This Is All He Asks of You is a beautiful poetic story of a young girl who deals with life’s hardships the only way she knows how: by writing letters to her father, whom she’s never met. The letters are authentic and heartfelt. I connected with Luna right away. The writing flows well and is written in a poetic prose style I found appealing. The themes are mostly spiritual and dealing with life’s ups and downs. Poignant, illustrative, emotional, This Is All He Asks of You is a must-read, especially during these uncertain times. It amazes me this is Anne Egseth’s debut novel. I look forward to reading more from her. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
Luna receives a box containing letters she wrote to her unknown father back when she was twelve years old. As she reads these letters, she unravels long-forgotten memories and discovers the true gift of connecting with others. The more she delves into her younger self, the clearer she understands life, both physically and spiritually.
This Is All He Asks of You is a beautiful poetic story of a young girl who deals with life’s hardships the only way she knows how: by writing letters to her father, whom she’s never met. The letters are authentic and heartfelt. I connected with Luna right away. The writing flows well and is written in a poetic prose style I found appealing. The themes are mostly spiritual and dealing with life’s ups and downs. Poignant, illustrative, emotional, This Is All He Asks of You is a must-read, especially during these uncertain times. It amazes me this is Anne Egseth’s debut novel. I look forward to reading more from her. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
June 27, 2020
All he asks of you ~
A child’s imagination ~
A child’s innocence ~
A child’s love ~
A child’s LIGHT ~~
Child, come with me
To where the sun is made of gold
And the moon is a pearl. We’ll be sailing free
Let’s go, you and me,
To where the sea meets our dreams. Hear the thunder roll by
We will sail and we’ll sing of the sea.
A child’s imagination ~
A child’s innocence ~
A child’s love ~
A child’s LIGHT ~~
Child, come with me
To where the sun is made of gold
And the moon is a pearl. We’ll be sailing free
Let’s go, you and me,
To where the sea meets our dreams. Hear the thunder roll by
We will sail and we’ll sing of the sea.
April 5, 2020
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I was surprised when reading the book that this is the author's debut novel. She is a really good writer. She captured my attention and told the story in such a way that I lost all track of time. There is so much to this story that flows right along to the very end. Anne, I enjoyed your first book and look forward to reading many more.
November 1, 2020
Twelve-year-old Luna is trying to make the world light in the midst of darkness, darkness caused by her mother’s illness and her father’s absence. Born in Norway, she now lives in Washington with her mother. Her father, who she never knew lives on the other side of the world in Greece – the father her mother called “a waste of space, a useless wannabe artist and a crazy-maker”, ironically also what she calls Luna when her imagination runs away with her.
In a series of letters to her father we are drawn into Luna’s vivid, imaginative world – one where she can swim in the air, where trees bring her comfort and she sees golden threads between people who love each other. There’s no doubt that Luna is a sensitive soul, wise beyond her years.
Full review here: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.co...
In a series of letters to her father we are drawn into Luna’s vivid, imaginative world – one where she can swim in the air, where trees bring her comfort and she sees golden threads between people who love each other. There’s no doubt that Luna is a sensitive soul, wise beyond her years.
Full review here: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.co...
April 25, 2020
Even though the main character has some strange mental processes, I had no problem relating, and even better, the writing is so good that there's no problem following. In addition, the book really gets better and better, and is very hard to put down.
April 19, 2020
This is All He Asks of You is a beautiful story that follows twelve year old Luna’s introspective journey of the fullness and complexities of life. Through letters to her estranged father, this quirky and perceptive pre-teen shares her winding journey of self discovery and processes profound loss. Anne Egseth’s story is inspiring particularly because this unassuming teenager experiences life fully, in both the spiritual and physical sense, and her journey reminds us that healing light can be found in the porous seams that connect us to one another.
April 13, 2020
What a treat to be able to spend time with Luna! The protagonist of “This is all he asks of you” has the invaluable skill to feel with all of her being, for betters or worse, and her being so incredibly close with what she feels, is contagious. I read this book while quarantined, and my wish is to be able to be more like Luna, when I’ll experience the world “as we knew it”, once again. The author has the unique talent of putting into words feelings that are so pure and simple, and yet so complex and overwhelming, such as those lived by her protagonist. There are so many lessons to learn from Luna and from the immersive experiences she describes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews