The title of the book, Two Nordic Short Novels, signals to the reader exactly what to expect: two short fictions set in Scandinavia. These stories are not only linked by length and latitude but also by the fact that they are a sheer delight to read.

Story of Ø tells the tale of the handful of inhabitants left living on a tiny island in the Norwegian Sea, which is sinking inexorably due to climate change. The islanders decide to try and conserve the collective memory of the land that has been their home for so many generations; a memory that lies in the objects and traditions that have shaped their personal and shared landscape.

Mancha vividly conjures up the impressions of young woman as she arrives in Flekke, a small Norwegian village, to teach Spanish. The village is populated by a kaleidoscopic range of inhabitants whom the teacher grows to understand as she interacts with them day by day. The story unfolds with a refreshing lightness of touch, mixing humour and insight into cultural diversity with subtlety and skill.