Cheap Astrid and Veronika (Book) (Linda Olsson) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Astrid and Veronika

Spoilers and Questions
The story kept me interested and overall I enjoyed it. I was left with several questions thought. Why did Astrid's mother commit suicide? Was Astrid afraid her own husband or her father would abuse Sara? Also, Veronika spoke of needing to face her own mothers abandonment of her, yet it was never addressed in the story, even when her father asked if she had spoken to her mother recently. Also, there was the weird statement at the end where the man says, "Sad the way she went, the old lady. But then, it was her choice" and then Olsson never explains that comment. What was that all about?

---

Somber Mood
This is the tale of a friendship forged between a younger and older woman during a year in Sweden. The tone of the book is quite somber, despite the blossoming friendship that is at the center of the book. Astrid (the elder) and Veronika are neighbors in a small village who eventually find comfort in sharing their life stories with one another. Both of the women have dealt with tragic life events and you can sense the relief - particularly from Astrid - that sharing their stories brings to them. The story takes place in Sweden, and Veronika's back-story takes place in New Zealand; the settings play an important role in their individual stories. I expected the ending long before it happened, just based on the overall tone and writing. I wish the story had been more "cheerful," for lack of a better word. The friendship was wonderful, but I felt that the somber tone overshadowed it a bit. It was a 'hard' read because the story skipped between the two women and went from the past to the present quite often. It took a while to get the story started and to understand and care about the character. Also, there was a lot left unfinished - I didn't feel that Astrid's story was completely told to us. The book is worth reading though, and recommended.

---

Amazing grace
Amazing writing. Amazing story. An intimate examination of the synergistic healing balm of amazing grace.