I feel like I need to start this review with an apology to the author for not reading the book immediately I was granted access. This is definitely one of my favourite books of 2024. Special kudos to the translator for making it possible for me to inhabit this world and fall in love with Inez and Meja. I love this book so much I don't know how to even talk about what I enjoyed. I'm going to make everyone read this!

Meja is working at a temp agency as a cleaner, and she is assigned a three-week job with reclusive writer Inez, who has decided to clean out her house. Inez is working on her final manuscript, about the secret she has carried for decades. Meja's only requirement while working is too not look at the folder that holds the in-progress story. Slowly, they begin to draw each other out, back into life and a place where they can build connections. But when things become too real, can Inez open herself up to Meja or will she push her away and go back to a reclusive life?
This was a perfect feel-good, cozy read. It had A Man Called Ove vibes with the relationships that were built in the neighborhood, but the story was more about discovering your passions, living life to the fullest, and letting go of years-old hurts. I loved both Inez's and Meja's storylines, as well as the exploration of their other peripheral relationships that begin to change as well. Truly a book to pick up when you are looking for a pick-me-up. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the author, Amazon Crossing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a quiet, reflective book with characters that pull you in and make you want to spend more time with them. Meja, in her late 30s, has been drifting through life and seems almost afraid to have her own personality. She is sent by a temp agency to help Inez, a well-known author who has lived as a recluse for 15 years, with cleaning and sorting her cluttered home. I'm a big fan of the Swedish concept of death-cleaning and as the two get to know one another and develop a routine, both begin to change. Inez starts to mellow and Meja slowly starts to stretch her wings - until Meja inadvertently breaks the one rule that Inez has set. They do find a way back, and the blossoming friendship is wonderful to see. There is also a strand of the story that is told in flashbacks, of a close friendship between Inez and Mathilde, back when both were young women, which uncovers a mystery and provides a resolution for something that has long been hurting Inez. Relationships - be they familial, platonic, romantic, or neighborly - and healthy change and growth are at the core of this story. Highly recommend!

The Oyster Diver's Secret is the first of Swedish author Caroline Säfstrand's novels to be published in English, and if this is representative of her body of work, I sincerely hope there are more to follow. It was such a welcome read - not exactly what I was expecting, but both heartwarming and satisfying all the same.

I'm a big fan of the concept of Swedish-death-cleaning, and that's what 70yo reclusive author Inez is attempting to do. It's not that she's sick or anything, but she's had a wake-up call in the form of the sudden death of her neighbour, and she knows it's a task her daughter Amelia would resent if she didn't take steps to reduce the clutter - piles of books, papers and photos - of her home in the coastal Swedish village just north of Helsingborg. Having fractured her pelvis falling off a stool, Inez contacts a local cleaning company to get someone to help her, Monday to Friday, for 3 weeks.

Enter Meja, the cleaner. In her late 30s, Meja has been drifting through life, unsure of what she wants to do and who she wants to be. She is insecure, in the most literal sense. She has a temporary job. Her two major relationships, with her mother Susanne and partner Johan, are unsatisfying. Although she's been living with Johan for some time, it's his apartment and the only stamp she's made on it is to hang a picture in the kitchen (which he rarely uses). Meja even looks insubstantial, according to Inez's first impressions.

But Meja is a good worker and an honest person, so Inez is happy with the work she's doing for the first few days. They settle into a routine and slowly get to know each other. But then Meja inadvertently breaks the only rule that Inez has set down for her, and everything changes.

This is a wonderful character-driven story about relationships: family, romantic, platonic and neighbourly. I really enjoyed the mellowing of Inez and the growth of Meja along the way. While plot is secondary, there's still a very satisfying mystery anchoring the story, pulling the reader along to the end.

Recommended.

Thank you Netgalley & Amazon Crossing for an eARC ♥️

As someone who has a soft spot for Scandinavian literature, I was immediately drawn to the atmospheric setting of the Swedish coast. But it was the story of Inez and Meja's unlikely friendship that truly captured my heart.🥹

And can I just say that the cover of this book is absolutely mesmerising? The hauntingly beautiful image of the sea and the subtle hint of the oyster diver's presence... it's like a work of art that draws you in and refuses to let go.

Inez, a 70-year-old author, is like the wise aunt I never had. Her struggles to come to terms with her past and find meaning in her life resonated deeply with me. And Meja, oh Meja... her lostness and longing is something I think we can all relate to at some point in our lives.

The way the author weaves their stories together is nothing short of magic. It's like watching a sunset over the ocean - breathtakingly beautiful, yet tinged with sadness.

I love how Scandinavian literature often explores the human condition in a way that's both poignant and profound, and this book is no exception. It's a reminder that we're never too old to change, never too lost to find our way again. And that sometimes, all it takes is a friend to help us see the light.♥️

🌅A bond unbreakable, a mystery to solve

I found The Oyster Diver's Secret a really appealing and thoughtful novel of women's fiction, about the bonds built between women and their ability to support and influence each other's lives. This was not a novel to read through quickly; I wanted to savor the author's atmospheric descriptions of a coastal Swedish summer and the more relaxed way of experiencing nature, friends and food. And these characters fascinated me, especially the two main characters, Inez and Meja.

Everyone in this story (maybe with the exception of Susanne's partner Bengt and neighboring couple Filip and Sverker) finds his or her life transformed in some way. I really liked the vibe that their journeys set leading up to the final, celebratory ending. Meja was probably my favorite character and I worried for her during the initial rough days when she found herself aimless and homeless, and rejoiced with her when she found her purpose and voice.

The story includes flashbacks to almost half a century prior, when Inez, as a young woman starting out on her own, found Mathilde, the eponymous oyster diver, and fell into a tight friendship that was abruptly severed. Mathilde inspired Inez to become a writer, and Inez has never gotten over Mathilde's disappearance. She tries writing a novel about them to find closure, but it's Meja who helps Inez find a real resolution to her sadness and isolation.

I liked that the story is constructed around Inez and Mathilde but ends up containing so much more, including mother-daughter and romantic relationships and a theme of going for your dreams and mending fences, even when it might seem too late.

I hope more of the author's work is translated because this is a writer I want to see more from.

Thanks to Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

A lot of female-friendship related topics as themes throughout the story. Very descriptive and it makes me want to visit Sweden!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

<I>Books aren't just stories, you know. They are lessons. About life. About ourselves.</I>

Told in alternating viewpoints, THE OYSTER DIVER'S SECRET is a book focused on finding life's happiness and the puzzle pieces that make you complete. Slow and thoughtful, Säfstrand built a beautiful story set in a town so vivid I could practically taste the brine of the ocean and characters with complex interpersonal relations. This is a story for reflection and thought, not fast-paced plots and twist endings-- it should be savored, like a good wine or good friend.

I liked the writing a lot but found the pace really slow. I wasn't convinced by the end, but it might be just me!

Requested this from Netgalley a while back so felt obligated to read. The writing was good enough and at the beginning i was into the story, thought it would be more historical fiction and less chick lit-ish, because by the end it was just getting way too sappy for me. Did no one in this book work? They seemed to have all the time in the world to have parties/dinners/drinks all hours of the day

I received this from Netgalley.com.

A lovely, very readable story of life and living with doubt and regret. "If she was too cowardly to share her story, wouldn’t it be better if it died with her?"

4.25☆

A well crafted story of friendship, secrets, and finding yourself. A self- exiled writer and a young, people-pleasing woman form bonds of unity that both, at first, don’t seek or think they need. An underlying mystery leads to the writing of the author’s first novel in many, many years. It steers both characters on a path to redemption, discovery, and a unique friendship.

A feel good book about female relationships and love. Highly recommended!

Translated from Swedish, this relationship focused book is set on the Swedish coast giving the book a great sense of place for those who enjoy reading books from around the world. Seventy-year old author Inez is at a retrospective point in her life and decides it’s about time to go through the piles she’s accumulated over the years in her cluttered house. She also wants to write her last book about her friend, the oyster diver, who mysteriously disappeared years ago and which continues to haunt her years later. But she needs help with decluttering as she recently hurt her hip attempting to reach shelves beyond her reach. Enter 37-year old Meja, who is sent by the company Inez reaches out to for a cleaner. Meja is rudderless, going through life blandly, not quite sure who she is or what she wants. This is a lovely and quiet moving book about relationships - between Inez and Meja, Inez and her daughter Amelia, Meja and her boyfriend Johan, Meja and her mother Susanne. It’s about introspection and choices, it’s about taking that tiny step despite trepidation that can make a world of difference, and it’s about how sometimes accepting a kind gesture can bring so much pleasure to the person extending the gesture and the reluctant recipient. Be warned that this is not a fast-paced book, and I’m glad it wasn’t. The story unfolds gently through Inez and Meja’s perspectives, which provides the opportunity for the reader to be in their shoes and be privy to their thoughts and struggles that drive their actions. I enjoyed this book for its storyline, character development, and evolving relationships and definitely recommend it. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.