Sanna is tired of her marriage, her friends, her routines – and of the nagging feeling that her life has already settled into something final. Is this all there is? In need of a break, she travels alone to the Mediterranean.
At the hotel, Sanna is irritated by Evelyn, the elderly woman next door, and the battered old suitcase she carries everywhere. Then one night, Sanna hears her crying through the wall. The suitcase is filled with unopened letters from the man Evelyn once loved – and left. Now he is dead, and decades later, she has brought the letters south to read them or burn them, and finally be done with him.
As the letters are opened one by one, they reveal a man transformed by the loss of the woman he took for granted. And as irritation gives way to an unlikely friendship, Evelyn’s story makes Sanna look at her own choices – and the life waiting for her back home – with new eyes.
This is a beautifully written novel about the quiet doubts in life: the dull ache of a marriage gone stale, the question of what anything really means, and the uncertainty of what to do with the one life you have.
Boekenbijlage, The Netherlands
I love the theme, women longing to escape from their lives. And I especially love that the two women differ in age. They have the same drive, but can learn from each other on different levels. A great book for a broad reading audience.
Lenneke Cuipers, The house of Books
Connie Barr has given us a wonderful and thought-provoking story. She describes with a light and elegant touch why the two women come to realize that choices must be made and how they decide which path to take.
Nettavisen
A truly fantastic book—it stirs something deep in your soul.
Live Gade, The Book Inspirer
