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The Blackbird Sings at Dusk
Linda Olsson
  • Published: 2 May 2016
  • ISBN: 9780143573661
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: $38.00

The Blackbird Sings at Dusk

  • Linda Olsson



'this is an exquisite book' - The Dominion Post

A compelling novel about friendship, identity and love.

One winter evening, Elias, a young artist, watches a woman move into his apartment building. After closing her door, however, she is not seen again. A misdirected letter finally gives Elias the opportunity to make contact. But inside her dark apartment, Elisabeth refuses to respond to his knock. Her only company is the Woman in Green, an unbidden vision from her childhood dreams.

Elias, meanwhile, is not to be deterred and draws his friend Otto, an elderly widower, into his attempts to entice Elisabeth into the world.

As spring segues into summer, their lives become intertwined and their past stories are revealed.

  • Published: 2 May 2016
  • ISBN: 9780143573661
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 256
  • RRP: $38.00

Praise for The Blackbird Sings at Dusk

She's a clever translator of the symptoms of desolation and mental illness. . . At times, you find a small gem of description . . . it's this ability to capture scenes and feelings in a few well-chosen words that kept me reading with interest . . .

Patricia Thwaites, Otago Daily Times

. . . very heartfelt and meaningful and intense and the writing is excellent . . .

Louise O'Brien, Radio NZ

I read this book knowing nothing about it and didn't read the blurb until I had finished. Each character unfolded like intricate origami and the pleasure of reading became the pleasure of character. If I fill in the gaps for you, I will dilute that exquisite pleasure, and this is an exquisite book. . . . Place matters less than character but you get tantalising whiffs of Sweden, whiffs of things eaten and things done a little differently. Picking up the character clues, I found the narrative predictable but that did not diminish the power of the story one iota. This is a superb and moving read.

Paula Green, Dominion Post

Swedish writer-turned-Kiwi Linda Olsson’s spare, elegant words create a world of activity and light, but not for her three main characters, they are apart from the bustle of the world and not by choice. Their tenuous connections with each other bring them into a better place, if only for a moment.

Lori Nims, Weekend Herald

New Zealand-based writer pens another beautiful piece about human nature . . . All her work has been critically acclaimed, and we can see why. . . . This, her fourth novel, is another quiet, beautiful piece about human nature.

Linda Thompson, Hawke's Bay Weekend

Beautiful and emotional. . . . The Blackbird Sings at Dusk is a book to slowly read and allow yourself to be moved to tears and laughter by. It is worth reading and worth loving.

Ella, http://www.svenskabestsellers.com/?p=160