Brightly Shining – Ingvild Rishøi

Published By: Grove Press
Pages: 192
Released On: 19/11/2024
Translated By: Caroline Waight

Christmas is just around the corner, and Ronja and Melissa’s dreamer of a father is out of work again. When ten-year-old Ronja hears about a job at a Christmas tree stand near where the family lives in central Oslo, she thinks it might be the stroke of luck they all need. Soon, the fridge fills with food, and their father returns home with money in his pocket and a smile on his face. But one evening he disappears into the night under the pretense of buying Christmas gifts—and the daughters know he has gone to his favorite local pub, Stargate, and they come to terms with the fact that he may lose his wonderful new job.

Melissa decides to take his place at the Christmas tree stand, working before and after school in the December afternoon dark, and brings along Ronja, who quickly charms all the middle-class customers. On rare breaks the sisters dream of a brighter place of kindness and plenty, and find help from some of those around them—but both understand that their family structure is a precarious one, and that they are going to need luck and strength to transcend their circumstances. 

*****

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Press for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

Earlier in the year I decided I wanted to branch out and start reading books by non-UK writers, and it just so happened that this book was on that list under Norway, and NetGalley kindly sent me a copy, and so I was looking forward to reading it, especially as I don’t think I’ve read any Norwegian fiction before.

It follows Ronja, our narrator, a 10 year old girl, alongside her older sister Melissa. It’s a tough books, with loss, grief, poverty, addiction alcoholism – things a 10 year old shouldn’t have to deal with and that shows in the narration. She’s confused and scared and naïve, and Melissa almost has to become a replacement mum.

Unfortunately that is the only positive I can give this book.

It has no chapters. I know it’s a short book, but I do prefer chapters. And yes in a way the longwinded nature of it adds to the rambling nature of a child, but I still didn’t care for it.

I’ve seen some comments say that it’s going to be a classic book, a Christmas tale compared to that of Dickens. Now, I know I am bias because I adore Dickens, but I don’t see how it can compare at all. It has more of a feeling of The Little Match Girl (which is referenced in the story). It’s not got that uplifting festive story. Maybe it is exactly what Norwegian readers want, but in my opinion, it doesn’t have that longevity a classic needs.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t really get it. It’s a bit of a ramble, no real plot, no character depth. Nothing really happens and I was confused as I had no idea what was meant to be happening. It didn’t make me think of anything or feel anything, it was just sort of words on a page.

Usually if I dislike a book this much then I don’t finish it, but and 192 pages, I was determined to get to the end. But this ended up being my first 1-star read as I would normally DNF a book like that. Unfortunately it did nothing to me and I wouldn’t recommend it as a nice festive read.