The Doyennes

Our second recommendation is a book by author Mari Tveita Stagrim, which unfortunately only is available in Norwegian (thus far). Translated into English, the title of the book is “What I’m looking for isn’t here”, and it is a coming-of-age tale about a couple of female, teenage friends. Narrated in 1st person, we never get to know who the narrator is, telling her story about a female friendship growing up in Norway a few years back. The story is both a recognizable depiction of everyday life and a gritty and dark, memoir-like diary at the same time, and Stagrim manages to keep the reader hooked throughout the whole book. Her descriptions of teenage life are so real and raw that it’s almost like you’re sent back in time, and the layout of the book provides a great visual effect to the day-by-day narration. A must for Norwegian readers!