In an attempt to understand her parents’ life, Johanne is forced to dig deeper into the darker layers of her own marriage. Alone in the empty houses and at the former garden centre in Lauvstad she is finally able to confront her own shame, aggression and defiance. Is it possible to go on living together after betrayal and adultery?
In a prose full of rhythm and movements a dark family drama is at play, the setting is a small village in the Western part of Norway. «My gentle self» is a novel about the light in darkness and the demons within us all.
Brit Bildøen
Tove K. Breistein
Brit Bildøen (b. 1962) is one of Norway’s most beloved and well acclaimed authors.
Bildøen made her literary debut in 1991 with a collection of poetry «Bilde av menn» (Pictures of men). In 1998 she had her literary breakthrough with the novel «Tvillingfeber» (Twin fever). For this she was nominated to the Brage prize for best novel and awarded the Oslo prize and Nynorsk literary prize. For her third novel, «Landfastlykke» (Landlocked), 2001, she was awarded the Melsom Prize and Sigmund Skard-scholarship. Both her last novels «Alt som er» (All there is), 2004, and «Mitt milde vesen» (My gentle self), 2006, have been praised by the critics.
Bildøen has translated several novels and children’s books, and is also a children’s books author herself.
