Ashes In My Mouth, Sand In My Shoes by Per Petterson

Ashes In My Mouth, Sand In My Shoes is the first novel from Norwegian writer Per Petterson. In it, he introduces Arvid Jansen, a character he will continue to follow in subsequent books.

Eight year old Arvid and his family live in the small town of Veitvet in northern Norway; His Mum and his sister Gry, Uncle Rolf who worked in the toothbrush factory, and his Dad who worked in the shoe factory, which Arvid felt was clearly superior to stupid toothbrushes. We follow him as he observes events in the family life, and vignettes with his friends. He spends his time riding horses, befriending a weird neighbour nicknamed 'Fatso', overcoming his fear of the dark, and sneaking into a dilapidated barn looking for discarded dirty magazines.

It's a funny and touching reminiscence of childhood ~ light and full of memorable moments. It's a short novel at just 118 pages, so it's a quick read - both for it's length and the ease of writing style Petterson presents. This earned Petterson a wide following in Norway, with good reason.

I continue to read Per Petterson, and have followed Arvid at different ages though I Curse The River Of Time, It's Fine By Me, and In The Wake.

A little gem of a novel that made me smile.

1987 / Paperback / 118 pages