NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

A little story about a little life, contains profound insight about exclusion, hope and community. With the simple language of a child, Ingvild Rishøi writes powerfully and poignantly about the experiences of the marginalized in a modern city. She shows deep empathy for those living in poverty, drawing readers into their lived experience with striking emotional clarity – Oslo Public Library (Deichman)

Ever since its publication in Norway, Brightly Shining has become both critically acclaimed and a reader favorite. It offers a modern Scandinavian twist on the classic Christmas story, with poverty, addiction, and injustice at its core. The story is narrated by Ronja, a 10-year-old girl whom readers will find mature beyond her years. Ronja speaks and thinks like a child, which gives the narrative a deceptively simple tone. Yet, the emotional depth is hidden between the lines, lending the novel a haunting and unsettling undertone. The setting is the eastern part of Oslo, historically a working-class district that has undergone significant gentrification over the past decade. During the Christmas season, Ronja and her older sister Melissa must navigate a world without parental care, relying on each other for survival and meaning in the midst of hardship. Their father struggles with alcohol addiction, and while his presence is sometimes playful and warm, it lacks the stability and security children so desperately need. Filled with warmth yet soaked in sadness, Brightly Shining offers a poignant reflection on addiction as seen through a child’s eyes. It evokes a deep sense of loneliness, insecurity, and doubt—emotions that linger long after the final page. (Bergen Public Library)