Et cetera : What We're Reading: The Ferryman and His Wife

I’ve been reading some truly exquisite books lately from the library—and I must admit, they’ve been so quietly heartbreaking that I’ve found myself crying more than once. 'The Ferryman and His Wife' by Norwegian author Frode Grytten is a solemn novel that follows an unhurried journey down a Norwegian fjord on the final day of a man’s life.

Nils Vik, a ferryman and widower, is granted an extraordinary gift: as he pilots his boat on his last day on earth, he is able to greet all those he has loved. Along the way, he is even reunited with a beloved dog he lost more than twenty years ago.

This is a novel of stillness and grace—so quietly beautiful that it has made me slow down, breathe a little deeper, and notice the tender mercies life offers us if we let them. I hope to finish it this weekend, and I hope that Nils Vik is finally reunited with his wife.

Happy reading, friends.

~Heather