Mandø

A bunch of friends spend their autumn holiday at the small Danish tidal island of Mandø. They pass the time doing nothing, conjuring up tiny intrigues and determined power struggles. In an existence with little meaning it feels relevant enough to test one's limits, challenge the forces of nature, play tag with death, and see how far one is willing to go. Maja sees a potential project in the young islander Claus. So far his life has evolved around birds and the tidal water; with Maja on the island things are bound to change.

MANDØ is a moving novel, using simple and effective devices to describe an intense psychological game betweeen young people. A modern tale about the loss of innocence, with the vast sea and the endless sky as a majestic backdrop.

Praise for Mandø:

"A suggestive debut novel about testing limits. (...) Using a specific and beautiful prose, alternating between the summer guests' daily talk and Claus' elevated way of speaking, the novel conjures up a suggestive atmosphere where the characters' feelings vary with the tidal waves."
(Bergens Tidende)

First published: 2009, Aschehoug Fiction
Kjersti Vik: Biography and bibliography

Rights sold to