This novel is not something that I would have found on my own, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Wanting to branch out and read a new author can be challenging at times. However, I never felt the need nor desire to put this book down after starting it. Yes, in the beginning, it can be a bit slow, but it is a beautiful story about Danish immigration to Nicaragua during trying times, centering particularly around the Gron family. Vilhem and Sofie decide to make the move to Nicaragua and take their children, Nils and Edith with them.
The book is told in the third person and jumps through three different timelines – when Edith was a teenager, her years as a sculptor and then her later years. These timelines jump between each chapter, which at times may seem random, but it’s actually very well thought out, because it allows us to make connections between momentous events during her life. Although the book does touch upon the political unrest in Nicaragua (particularly during the dictatorship), it doesn’t focus on that, but on Edith’s life and the roots she lays down in Nicaragua, her true home. I personally think this is an easy read for an advanced student. Something I didn’t expect to see was the “voseo”, but it is used a lot in Nicaragua – more than any other country in Central America, actually. Therefore, that is good exposure to parts of the language that Spanish learners may not be exposed to. All in all, this was a very good read and I recommend it!
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