MORMOR DANSET I REGNEN – WHEN GRANDMA DANCED IN THE RAIN
by Trude Teige
WHEN JUNI RETURNS to the house of her deceased grandparents on a small Norwegian island, she finds a photograph showing her grandmother Tekla as a young woman with a German soldier. Who is the unknown man? Juni can no longer ask anyone. Her search for the truth takes her to Berlin and to the small town of Demmin in eastern Germany where hundreds of families committed suicide in May 1945. Juni realizes that this is about much more than a secret love. And that her discoveries have consequences for her own happiness.
A STRONG WOMAN in dark times. And a young woman who must look back in order to move forward.
INSPIRED BY ACTUAL people and events, the book was nominated for the Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize and has sold over 70,000 copies in Norway alone. It became one of the bestselling books in Germany in 2023 and remained on the bestseller lists for over a year.
ABOUT THE BOOK
First published by Aschehoug, Norway 2015
RIGHTS SOLD
Arabic, Dar Al-Muna
Denmark, Alpha
Finland, WSOY
Germany, S. Fischer
Netherlands, Ambo|Anthos
Norway, Aschehoug
Sweden, Bazar
Turkey, ketebe
REVIEWS
“… the questions raised are both poignant and timely. Who is allowed to be a victim? Should only the history of the victors be written? And why does wartime revenge always hit women the hardest?”
M-magasin, Sweden
“Exciting and readable about the atrocities of World War II and the love stories of three generations in the shadow of the war. (…) This is first and foremost a readable novel, written by someone who knows how to tell a story – and who has an interesting story to tell.”
Adresseavisen, Norway
“An impressive story of the intergenerational transmission of feelings such as anger, shame, guilt and the events of the Second World War.”
Die Zeit, Germany
“A novel about the dark chapter in the relationship between the two countries that was kept secret for far too long […]. And about the healing power of love.”
Lesart, Germany
“Moving, but told in clear, straightforward language, the novel is about friendship, love, origin and a family secret.”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany
“The book is easy to read, but not so easy to forget.”
Bentebing.com
“Really good and well-written story based on real events, which does not shy away from brutal descriptions. This novel leaves no reader untouched – don’t miss this one!”
Expressen, Sweden
“Grandma Danced in the Rain is an eerie read that makes an impression and at the same time contains many beautiful truths about the nature of war, love and grief.”
Femina, Denmark
“A well-composed novel about love, shame and secrets.”
Bogvægten.dk, Denmark
“You can’t forget the terrible scenes from the war and the women’s vulnerability, both at home and abroad.”
Göteborgs-Posten, Sweden
“Teige writes fluently in a straightforward and flexible prose. Her genuine curiosity and love of storytelling is infectious.”
BTJ, Sweden
BOOKS
Fiction
