Winner of the 2021 Dobloug Prize
Winner of the Norwegian Critics' Prize for Literature
Shortlisted for the Norwegian Booksellers' Prize
In a hotel, high up in a mountain village, two sisters aim to reconnect after distant years that contrast their close, almost twin-like upbringing. Martha has just been discharged from a sanatorium after a mental breakdown. Ella agrees to keep her company in the hope that the clean winter air will provide clarity--and a way back to their childhood connection.
It's only when plans go awry, and Martha disappears in a rage, that Ella discovers a new sense of self outside her filial role. This identity is reinforced by various encounters: the hotel receptionist who takes her under her wing; the enigmatic love interest; the wistful, drunken Salvation Army soldier; the carpenter. And not least, Ella's encounter with the writings of Stefan Zweig, which have a profound impact.
Mona H vring's award-winning novel Because Venus Crossed an Alpine on the Day that I Was Born is as sharp as it sensitive; insightful as it is original when exploring the many distractions of the heart.
Praise for Because Venus Crossed an Alpine Violet on the Day that I Was Born
A luminous tale of the burdensome tenderness between sisters and the emotional tumult of breaking free, H vring's novel transports you to the faded grandeur of a hotel high up in a Norwegian mountain village. H vring's prose, in Rankin and Dickson's translation, is sensual and searching and allusive; it shimmers with a strange winter light. I fell immediately under its spell. --Aimee Wall, author of We, Jane
In a way, the language is the protagonist in this book. It is luminous and vibrant, full of associations, reflections and quotes. The words embrace the world with sensuality, humour, wonder and a confusion of feelings. --Fredrik Wandrup
