Berlin Poplars, By Anne B Ragde, trans. by James Anderson

When 80-year-old Anna Neschov ends up in a Trondheim hospital after a stroke, she summons her three sons to her bedside – a trio of males who have little in common.

Tor, a monosyllabic pig-farmer, is anxious to return to his sows; Margido, a funeral director, is suffering from a loss of faith; Erlend – a successful window-dresser – misses his Christmas baubles.

By turns whimsical and chilling, this Nordic family saga, the first of Ragde's books published in English, gets to grips with questions of genetic and national identity.

A mid-winter tale that relies on all the artificial twinkles Erlend can muster. Winner of Norway's coveted Riksmal Prize.

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