Thursday, April 18, 2019

*****Things That Fall From the Sky by Selja Ahava


Finnish Literature

Ahava’s novel centers around two main interconnecting themes:  grief – our need to make sense of, and clearly define, life and death; and the randomness of life – its haphazardness, whether good or bad. These themes overlap and converge and are affected by the weight of time.  The author explores our human desire to fully comprehend the incomprehensible; to define what cannot be fully defined. 

Ahava’s skill at normalizing the very randomness of life is both intuitive and sensitive.  She has created a highly relatable novel with nuance and subtlety. I enjoyed this work and look forward to future translations by this talented author.

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