Brightly Shining

Christmas is just around the corner, and Ronja and Melissa's father is out of work. When ten-year-old Ronja hears about a job selling Christmas trees, she thinks it might be the stroke of luck they all need. Soon, the fridge fills with food and their father comes home smiling, covered in spruce needles. But the local pub has an irresistible pull and he quickly abandons his responsibilities.

Melissa decides to take his place at the Christmas tree stand, working before and after school, and bringing Ronja

with her. On rare breaks in the dark of a Norwegian December they dream of a brighter place of kindness and plenty - and find there are some people in the world who might help them.

Small in stature but with an outsize impact on the reader, Brightly Shining has all the markings of a magical

modern classic.


Genre: Literary Fiction

"Brightly Shining feels fresh as spruce needles and ancient as bedrock. The clear and hopeful voice of Ronja slips easily into your heart and takes up residence like a breathless memory, like a song of unbearable beauty. I want to read more Ingvild Rishoi, and the sooner the better." - Leif Enger

"Deceptively simple, deceptively innocent, told from the perspective of a bright-eyed, too-wise child, Brightly Shining has the power of a classic. You will read it in a single sitting, then carry it in your heart." - Claire Messud

"There is real magic in this charming novel about care, community, and the kindness of strangers. It is a deeply affecting story, beautifully told, that is sure to touch the hearts of many readers." - Douglas Stuart