Set on the scenic fjords of Norway, this new novel from Globe and Mail bestselling author Karen Swan is a moving holiday tale of love and heartbreak.
Norway, 1936. Fifteen-year old Signy Odegard is sent with her sister and village friends to the summer pastures. As milk maids, they will protect the herd and produce dairy that will sustain the farm throughout the winter months. But miles from home and the safety of their families, threats begin to lurk in friendly faces.
December 2018. Free-spirited and untethered, Bo Loxley and Zac Elliott live a life of wanderlust most people can only dream of. With a social media following in the millions, they're paid to travel the globe, sharing their adventures with legions of fans. But with so many eyes on them, it's a struggle to keep anything about their lives private. Though Zac relishes the attention, Bo doesn't always feel safe, especially after one follower once went too far.
Booked to spend Christmas in Norway, they set up home in a ramshackle farm owned by taciturn local guide Anders and his fierce grandmother, Signy, who are reluctant neighbours in the off-season period. Zac persuades Anders to help him find extreme locations for the most beautiful shots - and their follower engagement goes through the roof. But the camera can lie.
With every post, the perfect life he and Bo are portraying is diverging from the truth as their relationship comes under strain. Something Bo can't explain is wrong at the very heart of their lives and where once she felt free, she now feels lost. As Bo grows closer to Signy, she stumbles upon a dark parallel between their lives - one that ended in tragedy many years ago, and which she fears can surely only end the same way again, now.