A Norwegian youth searches for his past. How did his parents actually die and what happened to him, then a little boy, whom was traveling with them? The journey will lead him towards adulthood, love and acceptance of realities that are not easy to accept. But this is life.

Honestly, it's long and drawn out story. Which wouldn't be so bad, but the story doesn't actually bring anything new. It is de facto a "coming of age" story, when a 25-year-old boy turns into a man. It is better than ordinary leisure literature and it can offer the engaging descriptions of nature and life in Norway, the Shetland Islands or in France occupied at the time by the Nazi, as well as interesting information about wood processing and trade. But under that beautiful, almost lyrical language, there is not so much nutrition and the story lacks a deeper content.
The romance is written from a "typically male" stereotypical point of view (in quotation marks, because I don't like such stereotypizing myself) - Edvard exchanges his current girlfriend for a more sophisticated Gwen, about whom he knows almost nothing - and that mystery makes her interesting to him throughout the story. Good at the beginning, but is that enough for a mutually enriching partnership?
It is a pity. Verdict on the book - not bad, but not an exceptional read either.

The narrator was very good. He is able to give the characters their own personalities. His voice is pleasant and calming.

Written so beautifully! This book is translated from Dutch to English and the beautiful story telling was not lost. I did feel like there was a slow start but it picked up halfway through. If you enjoyed how The Dutch House was written you will enjoy reading this book. Thank you RB Media and NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy!

Thank you to Harry N. Abrams and NetGalley for providing me with this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I unfortunately was not the biggest fan of this one. While I thought that the descriptions and landscapes in this book were beautifully written, I had a hard time connecting with Edvard as the main character, and by the end of the book just didn't really like him. I also was feeling lost in the changes that the trajectory of this book rapidly took, and struggled to understand exactly what the goal was. I'm not sure that I cared much for any romance that took place, especially with how that turned out for one lucky lady in the end (truly made my skin itch). Overall, I think I just wasn't the right audience for this book, and that's probably my fault, but here we are!

This is complex storytelling that weaves together quite a bit of historical fiction covering WWI, WWII, and the Battle of the Somme with a family saga and slow burn mystery. It is told beautifully and, of course, brings to life the authors love of wood.

It felt too long though. Overly descriptive at times, I found myself drifting off in the minutiae. Maybe that’s the point based on other reviews I’ve read that were 4-5 ⭐️ and it missed the mark for me? Or maybe I missed the mark. This was my first time reading this author, so I might need to give some of his other books a try.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and RB Media for this complimentary audiobook.

Pub date: 5/31/22 Available Now!

*Many thanks to Lars Mytting, RB Media, and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook which offers a rather complicated story of two brothers who make two different decisions which influence their family. I expected Norway as the setting but the Author takes us to the Shetland Islands and France and tells a tale that covers several generations and a mystery.
The trees of the Somme play a very special part in this story and I loved the part focusing on them.
Good narration added to my enjoyment.

My Interest
Say the words “The Somme” and you generally have my attention. World War I ends one of my favorite historical periods. That battle is one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century. The loss of life is beyond fathoming. Add to that a Norwegian author (translated into English) and a country I haven’t yet “read” in my reading the world project and you have a book I had to read. I’m so glad I did. Not only did it introduce me to the Shetland Islands, but this story weirdly incorporated a part of a character’s story in one of my own works in progress.

The Story
“If you look at life as a whole, most of our conduct is second-rate.”

At the Somme battle site from World War I there is a group of trees affected by an apparently one-time use of an odd poisonous gas. The grain and coloration of the wood is some of the finest ever. An Edinburgh timber merchant has a big financial stake in this wood–it is perfect for the bespoke sporting guns British aristocrats lust after and use to shoot grouse on the Glorious 12th and other birds throughout the year.

In 1971, a small boy goes missing for a few days after his parents are killed by an unexploded shell at the forest area containing the trees. The area is cordoned off by signs and barbed wire due to the unusually large number and close proximity of unexploded shells from World War I.

Two Norwegian brothers take different paths in World War II. One, who farms the family farm for a living, fights for the Nazis in the Norse Legion. The other is killed in the French resistance, or by the French resisitence…or…is he?

Why would the “caretaker” of a grand house on a Scottish Island be so reluctant to gossip about her employers?

My Thoughts
Wow! This story takes twists and turns that amazed me. Admittedly, I’m not a big murder or mystery book reader, but wow all the same. And for once a contemporary author did research and put much of it into the story without boring the reader to death. I learned more about the Somme tragedy, a good bit about the natural environment in the north of Norway and on the Shetland Islands, as well as more about bespoke shotguns [see the bottom of this post]–all of which kept me paying rapt attention. The characters were believable, the story was told in a very compelling manner and there was no ridiculous “oh, look, old Uncle Whoever’s secret stash of letters” to start us off. The story was told in the present and the events of the past were uncovered in the present. I really liked that. One more cheesy dual-timeline story would have sent me over the edge. Both the author and the translator did a great job of conveying atmosphere and of pacing the story in a way that kept me wanting more each time I had to stop listening.

Note: There are 3-4 sentences later in the book that will be distressing to pet lovers, I was ok and I’m a big pet lover, but some may not be.

My Verdict
4.0

One of the best books I have read this year. The translation from Norwegian was excellent, the story riveting, the narration so good. The ending was the best!

I have just finished listening to this audiobook. This is a beautifully written novel and perfectly translated from Norwegian. I was hooked from the start. It isn’t your typical page turner but it does quickly pull you in.
Edvard’s journey is an emotive, intricate story, about war, family, loss, secrets….. and wood.
Mytting is a fantastic scene setter, subtle and delicate in his suspense building.
The Sixteen Trees of The Somme surpassed my expectations, I didn’t think a book so heavily focused on wood could be quite so splendid.
Finally. Robin Laing is a brilliant narrator and catches a character’s personality so well.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and best recordings for allowing me to listen to a copy of this book.
In the end, I really enjoyed the book. It was slow going and took me at least a quarter of the book to get engaged and care about the people. A theme had started by that time and we are slowly led to unravel the mystery along with the main characters. Along the way, we visit France, Norway, and the Shetland Islands. Lars Mytting is well-known for writing about Norwegian wood. He does the same here but this time adds the mystery and the value of the different kinds of woods and what they are made into.
This is the story of Edvard who was raised by his grandfather. He has never known what happened when his parents died. The death of his grandfather starts him on the trail to answer questions from long before he was born to an inheritance that turns out is his.
Like many a well-written book, the story meanders here and there but is always picking up steam. Until we are rollicking along to the conclusion and it all involves trees!!!
I had a difficult time with the narrator. He read breathlessly like Jackie Kennedy doing a tour. When he was voicing characters, he didn't do that and I found him quite good but when he was narrating the story, I found his breathy reading annoying.

When his grandfather dies, Edvard learns that his long dead great-uncle is actually alive, and that everyone knew about it except Edvard. But why was this secret held from him? Why was the story of how his parents died a secret? He is determined to find out, and travels to Scotland then France to learn the truths his family had kept hidden since the end of WWII.
What's unfortunate about this book is that it could have been one of my favorite of the year, except it is a prime example of "men writing women." Every female character under the age of 30 is sexualized. I'm given minute details about their butts, their boobs, their bodies, and am fully aware how much Edvard wants to sleep with them. They're more like responsive set dressing than characters. Sometimes the details are just creepy "I could smell her, her wet undergarments" Like, please control yourself, my god.
That's to say nothing of the fact that I was mislead about the time period this took place in. It is insinuated that the novel will take place following WWI, due to the importance given to the Somme. However, this is set in the 90s, with the war in question being WWII, and a Nazi is given sympathetic characterization (the grandfather of the main character).
When Edvard isn't being a lascivious dog, the mystery and family drama is extremely interesting. I found the historical aspects fascinating, the slow reveal of the truth both horrifying and beautiful, and the way Edvard discovers himself through his family's past- the lives of people he never knew- relatable. But my dislike of Edvard, from how he treats the girl from his town to how his only thoughts about any woman his age is about their nipples or butt, was too strong. It was unnecessary and frankly callous at times. More editors need to have a red pen and write "Hey maybe calm down on talking about women like cuts of meat?" Then maybe books would be better, and more enjoyable for everyone.

Truly brilliant book full of mystery and intrigue. I was transported from the first page. The language is rich and immersive and I felt personally involved throughout this story. The detail and depth of the individual characters in the plot is exquisite!

From the age of three, Edvard is raised by his grandfather after an accident kills his parents. He has grown up knowing very little about his own story. On the death of his grandfather, Edvard leaves with the hope of untangling the unsettling ghosts of his memories and emotions. His exploration takes us from his childhood home and farm in Norway, through the Shetland islands and to the battlefields of Somme in France. A gripping unraveling of his history slowly takes shape with unforeseen turns in the plot.

This Norwegian family saga by Lars Mytting kept my interest all through its grief, distrust, sadness, unrequited love, death, horrors of war, and betrayal. Edvard's life is spent searching for the answers to the reasons for his parents' death as well as the mystery of his grandfather's estranged brother Einar, who lives(d) in Northern France.

Edvard experiences both love and betrayal during his travels to the Shetland Islands and to the Northern Shore of France as he visits the wood where his parents died.

Highly emotional, well-written, and filled with mystery, this translated novel enriched my listening experience. The characters are strong, and the story has you taking ferries from the mainland, rowing boats, and digging potatoes right alongside Edvard and Gwen. And those 16 trees......just how do they fit into the story and cause so many emotions between the characters? One must read this amazing novel to find out!!
The narration by Robin Laing was very well done. Intonation, character voice changes, and emotions were all well-expressed adding to the ambiance and mood of each chapter. My only issue was the continued use of "I said" or "she said" which wasn't necessary since his voice changes allowed the reader to know just who was speaking.

Sixteen Trees is not light reading but if you enjoy historical fiction and sagas with some mystery thrown in, this novel is a gem that you shouldn't pay up.

My thanks to #NetGalley and RB Media for the pleasure of listening to this ARC. The opinion in this review is my own.

The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting
Narrated by Robin Laing

From the age of almost four, Edvard was raised by his grandfather, Sverre. It was on a trip, under mysterious circumstances, that Edvard's parents died and Edvard went missing for four days. Once he was discovered miles away from where his parents died, Sverre rushed to pick up Edvard to take him home to the family potato farm.

Life was lonely and isolated for Edvard. Sverre had fought on the wrong side of the war and both Sverre and Edvard were often taunted by the people of their small community. Sverre dies and Edvard learns that a beautiful coffin has been waiting for his burial. A coffin that Edvard's estranged great uncle Einar made. Edvard's ex girlfriend, Hanne, has just come back into his life and is ready for marriage. But the past is pulling on Edvard, a past that he knows that his grandfather had hidden from him. He must find out more about his background and why his parents died.

During Edvard's search for the past and the truth, he meets Gwen, who seems to have secrets and who might be connected to the answers that Edvard is searching for. While I did like Edvard, he comes across as selfish and greedy during much of the story, with his search for answers and a mysterious inheritance running roughshod over his relationships with Hanne and Gwen. I enjoyed the story but wished that Edvard didn't lose track of his responsibilities during his time of discovery. His search did not bring out the best from Edvard and I could only hope that the searching might end up making him a better person than he was becoming during the search.

This was both a beautiful and an ugly story. I thought the narration of the story was beautiful and also many of the descriptions of nature, creativity, and talent felt like poetry. Then there is the relating of the Battle of the Somme and what happens to the Black Watch Soldiers and we are getting a mirror of the loss of so much life through history, in such numbers, when individual faces can't count when the losses number at over a million at that battle and millions more losses throughout history.

Thank you to RB Media/Recorded Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Edvard was raised by his grandfather and comes to find there are family secrets buried with the death of his own parents.

The wartime background allows your mind to run wild with possibilities of what happened to Edvard’s family and if you’ve traveled to France, Norway, and/or the UK, you will enjoy many references to areas throughout.

I found some of the book to move at a slower pace but things picked up towards the end and I was intrigued through the book to find out what happened with his parents, grandparents and his grandfather’s brother.

If you enjoy historical fiction and mysteries, this will be one to unravel

This is a slow-paced historical mystery that unfurls itself over a long journey that takes the protagonist from rural Norway to the Shetland Islands and on to France. Its main appeal to me was the luscious descriptions of these settings, and the mystery that was gradually pieced together over the course of the book.

The story started off a bit slow, but I began to get pulled in as it progressed, and especially once Edvard, the protagonist, set off from home to the Shetland Islands. This was my favorite section of the book. The atmosphere of the isolated islands, and the answers to the mystery that began to appear there, really drew me in. The plot meandered a bit in the middle, but it picked up again towards the end, when all the pieces really started falling into place. I thought the resolution was very satisfying.

Probably the biggest weakness of this book for me was the characters. I didn’t feel much sympathy for Edvard as a protagonist. The way he treated both of the women he got involved with was pretty terrible. I also found these love interests to be quite dull, and didn’t feel much realism in their personalities or actions.

I was extremely impressed with the translation though. The prose flowed as naturally as if it were originally written in English, while still maintaining the air of being a Norwegian novel. Beautifully written and translated.

Lastly, the audiobook narration was very good, and I found the narrator's voice to be calming and well-suited to the tone of the story. The character voices were distinct and captured the various personalities and accents well. This audiobook did not have any background effects or music, which I prefer and I think suited the quiet nature of the story.

Thank you again for providing me access to this ARC in return for my honest review!

This is a complex work of historical fiction that takes you on a journey to discover Edvard's families past.

This book is very descriptive, but yet has a lot of dialog built in as well. You can really picture the events and locations throughout the book.

I enjoyed this story, but it did feel like it rambled in many parts. I think it took a long time to really get to looking into the past that I did lose some interest. Overall the descriptive parts were well done.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this Audiobook for my honest review.