Description

Book Synopsis

The heartwarming debut that brought Per Petterson, the author of the highly acclaimed Out Stealing Horses, to prominence

Young Arvid Jansen lives on the outskirts of Oslo. It's the early sixties; his father works in a shoe factory and his Danish mother works as a cleaner. Arvid has nightmares about crocodiles and still wets his bed at night, but slowly he begins to understand the world around him. Vivid images accompany each new event: A photo of his mother as a young woman makes him cry as he realizes how time passes, and the black car that comes to collect his father on the day Arvid's grandfather dies reminds him of the passing of his bullfinch. And then, one morning, his teacher tells his class to pray because a nuclear war is looming. Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes, Per Petterson's debut, in which he introduces Arvid Jansen to the world, is a delicate portrait of childhood in all its complexity, wonder, and confusion that will delight fans of Out Stealing Horses and new readers alike.

Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes: Stories

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    £12.60

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Tue 7 Jul 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Per Petterson

    10 in stock

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      Publisher: Graywolf Press
      Publication Date: 07/04/2015
      ISBN13: 9781555977009, 978-1555977009
      ISBN10: 1555977006
      Also in:
      Anthologies & Short Stories

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      The heartwarming debut that brought Per Petterson, the author of the highly acclaimed Out Stealing Horses, to prominence

      Young Arvid Jansen lives on the outskirts of Oslo. It's the early sixties; his father works in a shoe factory and his Danish mother works as a cleaner. Arvid has nightmares about crocodiles and still wets his bed at night, but slowly he begins to understand the world around him. Vivid images accompany each new event: A photo of his mother as a young woman makes him cry as he realizes how time passes, and the black car that comes to collect his father on the day Arvid's grandfather dies reminds him of the passing of his bullfinch. And then, one morning, his teacher tells his class to pray because a nuclear war is looming. Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes, Per Petterson's debut, in which he introduces Arvid Jansen to the world, is a delicate portrait of childhood in all its complexity, wonder, and confusion that will delight fans of Out Stealing Horses and new readers alike.

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