Lovely novel narrated by a 10 year old. Set in Oslo, this is a story of hope, dreams and family relationships.

Translated from Norwegian, BRIGHTLY SHINING is a novella full of wonderful characters, struggle and hope. Sisters Ronja (10) and Melissa (16) are trying to balance school and jobs, with survival, without the help of parents or guardians. Their mother is dead and their father is caught in the grip of alcohol addiction and unemployment. I had high hopes for a 5 star reading experience, which this came close to, but a couple of things fell a little short for me, including Melissa’s swearing which felt really jarring in a story like this, and the ending, which while dreamy, was ultimately unsatisfying in its ambiguity. But overall, this was one of the best Christmas stories I’ve read in a long time, and I’m sure I will return to it again in the future. It made me think a lot about how vital sturdy adults are for children’s development and well-being, and how we can step up for the kids around us who need extra support. 4.25

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.

This book will break your heart, mend it, and then break it all over again.

I really enjoyed this book but my god did it make me sad. Two sisters try their best to stay afloat as their father struggles to keep his promise to stop drinking. After their father doesn't show up to his new job at a Christmas tree farm, the older sister takes it upon herself to do his job for him.

This novel is short and emotionally brutal (in the best way). You continuously hope that their circumstances will get better, and for a while it seems like it will, but the ending, depending on how you interpret it, may completely upend that.

Maybe it's just me, but it wants me to hug my younger sister and not let go.

Ronja and Melissa’s father is out of work again, and it's Christmas. Ten-year-old Ronja hears about a Christmas tree stand job that her father lands. And he happily fills the fridge with food and his daughter's lives with hope. But when he returns to his favorite bar, the girls know everything will be different. Meanwhile, Melissa takes his job, and Ronja helps until the stand owner kicks her out. What will the girls do now as they attempt to celebrate the season and survive?
I fell in love with Ronja from page one. She is a bright spot in this book.
The profanity surpised me. For some reason, I thought this was a children's book, but I think it's geared to teen and older.
Surprisingly, the ending had me in tears. I would not recommend this book to anyone who wants a sweet, happy ending. And yet, the stoy did touch me and made me think about how I celebate the season, how my habits affect others, and what sacrifice, family and love truly mean.

While certainly sad, I found Brightly Shining compelling – the magic of dreams, the beautiful writing (it doesn’t read like a translation), and the girls endurance kept me turning the pages. In the end, no one saves the day which is very Norwegian realistic.

Ingvild Rishøi's Brightly Shining is a poignant Christmas novella that beautifully captures the complexities of family dynamics amidst hardship. Set in Oslo, it follows ten-year-old Ronja and her older sister Melissa as they navigate life with an alcoholic father. Rishøi's simple yet evocative prose allows readers to feel the sisters' resilience and hope, even as they face bleak realities. The narrative shines through Ronja's innocent perspective, highlighting the warmth of their bond and the kindness of their community. Though brief, the story leaves a lasting impact, making it a touching read for the holiday season.

A sweet story, seemingly lacking in overall meaning to me, but I think that's typical of an American audience reception.

Wonderful read for Christmas time. I really liked the prose and the overall atmosphere. I had saved this book to read for the holidays and I’m glad I did as I very much enjoyed my experience with this one.

*Brightly Shining* is a beautifully crafted novella that captures the tender and bittersweet complexities of family, resilience, and hope during the holiday season. Ingvild H. Rishøi, with the aid of Caroline Waight’s seamless translation, delivers a poignant and evocative story that lingers in the heart long after the final page.

Rishøi’s prose is simple yet profoundly moving, and Ronja’s innocent yet perceptive voice lends the narrative a unique depth. The bond between the siblings is portrayed with such warmth and authenticity that it becomes the emotional core of the story. While the plot is straightforward, it’s in the small, tender moments—whether it’s Ronja’s unflinching hope or the sisters’ resourcefulness—that the novella truly shines.

However, the story’s brevity occasionally leaves some characters and subplots underexplored, and readers may wish for more closure on certain aspects of the family’s struggles. Still, the emotional resonance and vivid storytelling more than make up for these minor shortcomings.

*Brightly Shining* is a heart-wrenching yet uplifting read that captures the spirit of Christmas and the enduring power of love and resilience. Perfect for fans of stories that balance sorrow and hope, this novella is a shining gem that deserves to be read and cherished.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grove Atlantic, for the opportunity to read and review this touching novella.

Book Review: Brightly Shining by Ingvild H. Rishøi

Rating: 3 Stars

When I first picked up Brightly Shining, I was immediately drawn to its beautiful cover. It promised a story full of warmth and light, and in many ways, the book delivered just that, albeit with a shadow of melancholy hovering over it.

Set in the heart of Oslo, this Norwegian Christmas tale introduces us to the world of Ronja and Melissa, two sisters who face the harsh realities of life with their dreamer of a father who is once again out of work as the holiday season approaches. When Ronja discovers a job opportunity at a local Christmas tree stand, it seems like a glimmer of hope for their struggling family. The story beautifully captures the essence of sisterhood as Melissa steps up to work in place of their father when he inevitably falters, disappearing into the night and leaving his daughters to fend for themselves.

The narrative is skillfully woven through the innocent yet insightful perspective of ten-year-old Ronja, whose charm wins over customers at the tree stand. The sisters' dreams of a better life are both heartwarming and heartbreaking, highlighting the fragility and resilience of their family structure. As they navigate their precarious circumstances, they find unexpected kindness and support from those around them, bringing a touch of magic to their otherwise challenging reality.

Despite its brevity, Brightly Shining leaves a lasting impact. Rishøi's storytelling is tender and laced with humor, successfully evoking the innocence and misunderstandings of childhood. However, it's not all festive cheer; there’s an underlying current of sadness as the girls confront their family's instability. This duality makes it an intriguing read that resonates with readers who appreciate stories that reflect the complexities of life.

In conclusion, Brightly Shining is a short but engaging read that offers a poignant glimpse into the lives of two resilient sisters. It's not exactly a feel-good holiday story—there's a somber undertone that might leave you feeling a tad wistful. However, its charm lies in its honest portrayal of hardship and hope. While I wouldn't rate it among my top favorites, it's certainly worth a read for its authentic depiction of family dynamics and the understated magic of everyday kindness. I’d give it a solid three stars—an admirable effort with moments that shine brightly indeed.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

“Sometimes there just isn’t any other way out, and that’s when a miracle happens .”

<i>This is my unbiased review after receiving a free digital copy from NetGalley.</i>

It’s heartbreaking, this story, like The Little Match Girl, which is mentioned a couple of times. It’s also a beautiful, hopeful tale about found family in which a caretaker, a neighbour and a schoolfriend and his father are more empathetic than a failing parent. But ultimately it’s a beautiful but bleak tale with an ending that is frustratingly unclear. Given the clear references to The Little Match Girl, I’m afraid the ending is tragic. Given the vagueness, I’m unsure.

However, there is plenty to love about the story. The narrator, Ronja, is a ten-year-old girl with a wild imagination and a heart full of hope. Her 16-year-old sister Melissa is more cynical, but loving and caring. Even their alcoholic father is an optimist who obviously loves his daughters whilst being unable to care for them due to his addiction. Whenever he is sober, his first thought is to feed them. Unfortunately, all too often, they have nothing to eat but Frosties.

The story is told throughout in the convincing voice of a child, but one who has seen the underside of life. Not only has her mother died (no backstory is given), leaving her with a father who repeatedly dashes her hopes of normalcy, but she not unsurprisingly feels an outsider at school. Nevertheless, she does make connections, often with other outsiders. The only schoolfriend she seems to have is an immigrant boy, Musse, who will later play a significant role with his father. At school, the immigrant caretaker keeps an eye on her. At home, the neighbour, an old man who often complains about the family later turns into a rescuer when Ronja needs someone to help her and her sister is unavailable.

There are others, too, who help the girls. When their father loses his temporary job as a Christmas tree seller, Melissa takes it on herself, working before and after school. She works with Tommy, a man who finds a way to give Ronja a purpose, even though it’s perhaps not entirely legal. The solution is obviously morally justified. The fly in the ointment is an unpleasant employer who spitefully intervenes.

Apart from the vague ending, there were a couple of other odd details that confused me. The Scandinavian social network is famously generous. How does a family fall so far through the holes? Even if the children are trying so hard to escape being sent into care. For a while, I was wondering if it was actually set in America, but a working class area in Oslo is later explicitly named.

On a whole other level, what does the term ‘lady-man’ mean? This person appears several times for no particular reason, then steers the girls’ drunk father away at one point. Again, it’s unclear if they’re helping or encouraging the father to get more drunk. There were a couple of other details that obscured rather than clarified the story. I’m unsure if these were things added by the author or were translation decisions.

For instance, on the day of the Santa Lucia procession, Ronja thinks that Hark the Herald Angels Sing can’t be one of the most beautiful Christmas songs of all because it isn’t if you’ve lost your job. This makes me think that the translator substituted Hark the Herald Angels Sing for something Norwegian. It just doesn’t work because the familiar English language carol has nothing to do with employment or lack of it.

Likewise, the title Brightly Shining is from a Santa Lucia Day song, “the stars are brightly shining.” According to Wikipedia, it is in Sweden that children sing about light, Sankta Lucia, ljusklara hägring (Saint Lucy, bright mirage). In Norway, where the book is set, they undoubtedly sing that too, but they sing Svart senker natten seg, ‘Black Descends the night’, which is much darker, but also mentions nothing about brightly shining. It would be really helpful
In the original Norwegian, the book was called Stargate, the name of a bar the father frequents. I suspect they had to avoid that in English because there’s an American Star Trek-like series about a portal in space called Stargate.

However, this is merely nitpicking. This story had me hooked from the start, completely immersed in Ronja’s storytelling. It would mage a great addition to a collection to be read over the Christmas period.

Rishøi’s novel feels made for gifting. The story of two sisters navigating childhood with an alcoholic parent is an emotional read that avoids sentimentality. Instead, it gifts the reader a glimpse into what love look like even when it devastating. An emotional read for the Christmas season.

4.5

Short bittersweet holiday read. It's beautifully written, especially the ending. The story, set in the Scandinavian winter, depicts the bonds of sisterhood and the emotional hardships a child with an unstable and neglectful parent can experience; where the older kid has to assume the role of the parent and take on things children shouldn't ever think about doing.

The atmosphere is blue from beginning to end even with the bits of hope and the nice things that happen. It's both cozy and cold.

There's this recurring fantasy the sisters talk about throughout the novel. It's a key element in the story. It's the protection barrier our minds put up during troubled times. You hold on to a dream in order to keep going even if deep inside you know that dream might never come true. So you must believe it. There are countless examples of this, but the one I immediately thought of was George and Lennie's dream farm with rabbits in Of Mice and Men.

I like sad and I enjoyed it but I must admit it also stirred something inside me that led to reflect on my own life situation, which does hit harder during this season.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Two young girls struggle at Christmastime

Narrator Ronja is ten years old and lives with her older sister Melissa and their father in an apartment in Oslo. Life is not easy for them; their father is an alcoholic and is regularly unemployed, leaving Melissa to act as primary caregiver for Ronja. Having enough food to eat isn't a given in this household, although there are those who know of their situation and do their best to provide some support when needed. Despite this less than ideal life, Ronja is an optimistic dreamer. When someone lets her know of a job locally selling Christmas trees and wreaths, she pushes her father to pursue it. He gets the job and all is well for a short time, but he soon reverts to old patterns and starts visiting his favorite bar. Melissa takes his place at the tree lot to try to keep food on their table, and Ronja helps her as best she can. Each girl supports the other, and they are the recipients of kindness from neighbors and even strangers, but can these earnest and hard-working girls continue to hold out hope for a better future?
This is a beautifully written and poignant story that owes more than a little to the classic story of the little match girl. Like that well-known tale, this is no warm and fuzzy, happily ever after Christmas read(. That said, it is a quick and satisfying read which reminds us all that not everyone enjoys a happy holiday....Ronja and Melissa have been dealt a bad hand in life, and the ending is left up to the reader's imagination (but its difficult to imagine a complete happily-ever-after). It has been beautifully translated from the original Norwegian by Caroline Waight, and there are so many characters that spring to life as the story unfolds. Readers who have enjoyed the Christmas tales of Richard Paul Evans, Jean Shepherd and Fannie Flagg, as well as classics like The Little Matchgirl and The Gift of the Magi would be well served to add this to their holiday TBR. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Grove Press for allowing me access to this magical if heartwrenching tale.

Ronja is excited for Christmas, especially because her father has just gotten a job selling Christmas trees in their Oslo neighborhood. Soon, there is food in the refrigerator, and there may even be gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. But when her father claims one night that he's going out to buy those very gifts, Ronja and her big sister Melissa know he's really going to his favorite pub. What follows is a familiar story in their family: Their father goes on a bender and loses his job. But this time, the sisters decide to step in and sell those Christmas trees themselves.

Brightly Shining is a sweet and sad Christmas story about a downtrodden family that nevertheless believes in, and makes their own, magic. I really enjoyed the way the story was told: in simple prose, emotionally without being overwrought. I love reading from the POV of a child if it's done well, and Ingvild Rishøi portrayed Ronja's voice perfectly. She is so naive yet wise beyond her years, observing the world and those around her from a viewpoint that doesn't quite understand all the nuances of adult actions, interactions and conversations. There is a heartwarming sense of community that grows in the book as Ronja begins to trust certain people in her life, and as those people try to help her family in whatever small way they can.

I'm honestly still not sure how I feel about the ending, but overall Brightly Shining is so affecting and poignant in the way it juxtaposes the magic of the holiday season with the brutal realities of Ronja's home life. It's not an uplifting story in the traditional sense, but I do think there is hope and joy to be found in its pages. Thank you to Grove Atlantic for the complimentary reading opportunity.

On Christmas Eve this book caught my eye and I felt compelled to pick it up. I read a few pages and before I knew it I was halfway through. If I didn’t have holiday obligations I would have easily read it in one sitting and I could not stop thinking about it. BRIGHTLY SHINING is told from the perspective of ten-year-old Ronja who lives caught between a not-so-ideal reality and dreams of how things will be better from now on. As Christmas nears, her father (who frequently moves between jobs) gets hired at a local Christmas tree stand only to end up drinking away his pay advance. Ronja’s sister Melissa then gets a job at the stand to pay back this debt. While the sisters' lives do have a few bright spots, their situation is less than ideal. Ultimately hope is shining a light and we are reminded that sometimes, when there’s no other way out, miracles do happen.

When I was 18 I spent a year in Oslo as an exchange student. This created a lifelong love of all things Norwegian so I’m always excited to read Scandinavian literature. While I adore Norway, some of the things I witnessed in Oslo all those years ago were challenging. Segregation between classes and races and the status of refugees/immigrants/BIPOC caught the attention of this fairly naive 18 year old. This novel encapsulates some of these realities through the eyes of a child, creating a story that is heartbreaking yet incredibly hopeful. Ronja’s innocence allows her to see the good in those around her, without the biases we take on into adulthood, and gives her the ability to have dreams that aren’t tempered by reality.

I’m not sure I would have been as invested in this story without this connection to the setting but it has solid blurbs and reminds us of what is truly important in a season that can often feel overtaken by capitalism. It’s heavy but also a “reality with a dash of hope” holiday story I appreciate.

I also love the inclusion of ketchup spaghetti. One of my favorite Norwegian dishes and I was never able to replicate it.

Thank you @groveatlantic @netgalley for the #gifted eARC)

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this Scandinavian tale. I loved hearing from the viewpoint of Ronja and how she viewed and tried to make sense of her world. Although I wanted more of a conclusion

In the bleak midwinter ...

Not all is merry and bright for Norwegian sisters Ronja and Melissa, who find themselves taking on the responsibilities of the household once again when their alcoholic father goes on another bender. To make ends meet, the girls take over their dad's job at a local Christmas tree lot, but they soon find that maintaining employment and running a household, while keeping up appearances too often brings on unwanted attention.

Ingvild Rishøi's Christmas novella Brightly Shining is a desolate story of human fragility. There's nothing merry and bright about this tale of what it is like to be the child of an alcoholic, forced to grow up too soon and take on responsibilities that your parent can't handle.

Told through the eyes of a child with wisdom beyond her years, Brightly Shining is a harsh and heartbreaking holiday story of hope and hope lost.

This was the perfect little novella for the holiday season. Loosely inspired by The Little Matchgirl, I can see this story being a good gift for someone (so long as they don't mind their holiday stories to be less-than heartwarming!).

Ronja and Melissa's father is an alcoholic and therefore has difficulty holding down a job. In a sober spell, he gets a job at a Christmas tree lot but soon it is up to Melissa to hold down the job. Her younger sister, Ronja, often tags along, helping to sell the trees and upsell the customers, all in the name of providing for their family. When word gets back to the head of the tree farm about their schemes, he is not too happy and threatens to take them away from their father.

Told through Ronja's eyes, we see the story through a veil of innocence. I particularly enjoyed her loose friendship with an older man in their apartment building, who she latches onto as a sort of father/grandfather figure that she lacks in her life. I do wish the story had been a bit longer; Rishøi folds a lot of different topics, from addiction to immigration, into the novella. That said, it is a good homage to the format of the original story.

Shining Brightly by Ingvild Rishøi is a masterclass in quiet, evocative storytelling. This slim, powerful novella captures the fragility and strength of human connection with a tenderness that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page.

Rishøi’s writing is poetic yet unpretentious, striking that perfect balance between beauty and relatability. The story follows a family facing financial hardship during a harsh Norwegian winter, yet what stands out most isn’t the bleakness—it’s the hope and resilience that quietly simmer beneath the surface. Her characters feel so vivid, so alive, that their struggles and small triumphs feel personal, as though they belong to someone you know.

The descriptions of the icy Norwegian setting are stunning, almost cinematic, and create a sharp contrast to the warmth of the relationships at the story's core. Rishøi manages to pack so much depth into such a small book, making it an ideal read for anyone who loves deeply human, emotional stories.

This is a book about light in the darkest of times, and it does exactly what its title promises—it shines. Perfect for a cozy winter evening and for readers who find solace in stories of resilience and quiet love.