Och eken står där än

Och eken står där än Where the Oak Still Stands

A difficult divorce has left Esther adrift and the weekends without her son are painfully lonely. Every other Saturday she goes to an old oak tree in a meadow by the water. One day, Ruth is there waiting for her – an older lady with a wonderful ability to focus on everything that’s beautiful in life. As Ruth recounts her youth, Esther can’t help but be fascinated by her stories. An unexpected and steadfast friendship blossoms between the two women. But everything isn’t as it seems. What secrets are Ruth hiding? The search for answers takes Esther all the way to Italy and Lake Como, where she begins to see that there is far more to Ruth than she ever let on.

Sofia Lundberg’s Where the Oak Still Stands is a gripping novel about longing, guilt, undying friendship, and finding oneself again after a destructive relationship.

Reviews

  • “I do love a novel about a female friendship across the ages and this one has that in spades. /…/ Sofia [Lundberg] has a lovely way of weaving the words on the page, holding hands with her characters as they speak and exploring female friendships and our shared worries despite our age, background and culture. I feel quite sad and humbled now I’ve read this. It’s very emotional. That ending had me!”

    The Book Trail, UK

  • “What a beautiful story Where the Oak Still Stands is. Tragic, hope-instilling, inspiring. It has so many layers, so many emotions. I feel like this story will stay with me for a long time. /…/ Where the Oak Still Stands is one of this fall’s must-reads, in the most positive sense possible. If you don’t read it, you’ll be missing out on a truly engaging story.”

    Boktokig, Sweden

  • “One of the most beautiful novels I’ve read this year. /…/ [Where the Oak Still Stands] is exquisite, [Sofia Lundberg] perfectly captures the joy in newfound friendships – no matter at what age.”

    ★★★★

    Sveriges Radio, Sweden

  • “A wonderful read full of laughs and tears.”

    Bokmalen, Sweden

  • “A delicately and leisurely told story about separation, love and friendship, with a feel-good twist.”

    A well-read lady, Sweden

  • “A powerful, captivating and delicate story that deeply affects. /…/ Honesty and secrets mix and create a fascinating story that plays out in both Sweden and Italy. /…/ Sofia Lundberg has an outstanding ability to craft stories that immediately spellbind me. Recognizable situations and interesting milieus make me read [the book] in one sitting. But still it is the characters who make the biggest impression. People who meet, stop for a moment, converse, reflect, uncover secrets, come to terms with their pasts, and in one way or another make peace with themselves – they transform into close friends.”

    Agneta Norrgård, literary critic, Sweden

  • “Sofia Lundberg has done it again. She has written a book that affects, captivates and compels its readers to ponder the difficult questions in life. /…/ Where the Oak Still Stands can be described with a single word: Magical. ”

    Blekinge Läns Tidning, Sweden

  • “Already at the first lines I’m deeply loving Sofia Lundberg’s new novel, Where the Oak Still Stands. I don’t know if it’s the calm or the prose. I’m falling more and more for Sofia’s books.”

    Boklusens Bokblogg, Sweden

  • Where the Oak Still Stands is as beautiful as it is melancholic.”

    Johannas deckarhörna, Sweden

  • Where the Oak Still Stands is a delicate and beautiful novel, almost poetic. A feelgood full of emotions. And utterly readable, just like A Question Mark Is Half a Heart […], only this one is even better! [It has] more depth, more presence. And it certainly strikes a chord.”

    Villa Freja, Sweden

  • Where the Oak Still Stands is a bittersweet novel that keeps me glued to the page. I find Sofia Lundberg’s ability to balance difficult and heavy subjects with such ease masterful. /…/ [Her characters] are credible in their feelings and grief.”

    Fru Es böcker, Sweden

  • “This is a gripping and engaging story. /…/ Where the Oak Still Stands is a beautiful, well-written and accessible novel that is sure to bring tears to your eyes and smiles therebetween. And above all it inspires reflection about all the things that didn’t go quite according to plan. ”

    Boklysten, Sweden

  • “Beauty and darkness, side by side.”

    Femina, Sweden

  • Where the Oak Still Stands by Sofia Lundberg is a quiet and gripping story with great depths.”

    Allas, Sweden

  • “With painterly depictions and a vivid prose Sofia Lundberg takes the reader for a true feel-good ride.”

    Aftonbladet, Sweden

Author
Photo: Viktor Fremling Sofia Lundberg
Published
2019
Genre
  • Literary
Pages
333
Reading material

Swedish edition

Rights sold

Bulgaria, Hermes

Czech Republic, Euromedia

Denmark, People’s

Finland, Otava

France, Calmann-Lévy

Germany, Goldmann

Israel, Modan

North Macedonia, Antolog

Norway, Cappelen Damm

Serbia, Laguna

Sweden, Forum

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