Half Lives (Halva liv)

Mats Strandberg

"HALF LIVES goes straight to your heart. A peculiar love story, a family saga and a red thread of suspense are woven together to something perfectly irresistable." Camilla Läckberg

 

 

"I am sorry. I can't tell you why. Don't look for me. Don't hate me."

 

Jessica can’t let go of the thought of Jakob. He was the love of her life. And he had felt the same. Or had he not? Why did he suddenly disappear without any explanation? The uncertainty torments Jessica. Despite all her success as a cocky sex advisor on television and in the press, she has a hard time enjoying life. She becomes passive and ignorant. Years go by. New relations won’t make her forget. Nor will pills or friends.

 

When Jessica’s grandmother Viola dies, she gets something else to think about. A hand written diary from Viola to Jessica unfolds secrets about the family. Jessica realizes how things are connected. She understands her grandmother, sees the similarities with her own life and is filled with new energy.

 

When the past catches up with her, she has to fight hard for what she believes in.

 

Half Lives is a thrilling novel about love, friendship and about choosing path, taking place today as well as in the 1950's. Mats Strandberg takes the the readers on a journey through time and space. When the different worlds are braided together the drama increases.

 

331 pages

 

English reading material available. Translation by Neil Betteridge.

 

Rights sold

Germany: C. Bertelsmann

Sweden: Forum

 

Reviews

"With HalfLivesthe SwedishauthorMatsStrandberggives us a great and wonderfulnovelbeyondthe usualgenreboundaries.Half Livesdescribe a time thatis not so farback in time.The whole story isan appeal for tolerancebetween people.MatsStrandbergshows that heisa gifted and innovativewriter whohas the courage towriteina populargenre,but stillleave theclichésaside andtella reallygood story."

Booksection.de/Germany

 

"A woman’s novel that has everything a woman’s novel shall have, love, sex, excitement and action. Exactly the right thing for a night at home."

Dapd (AP)//Germany

 

"The coolest and most beautiful book of this summer."

Schöne Freizeit!/Germany

 

"Read at a stretch .... exciting and with a deeper thougth."

Tara

 

"Half lives is more than an entertaining read. You find a debth and a story that is both interesting and educating. /.../ The portray of Jessica has many dimensions ..."

QX

 

"I love the parts that take place in the fifties./…/The description of Jessica is also really good. Especially the part about her psychological situation and how she deals with her problems. Very trustworthy./…/The research is thorough and not one detail feels odd or apart. It’s no problem to travel back in time and to see all the old surroundings."

Bokhora

 

"Mats Strandberg lets the contrasts meet in his third novel Half Lives. He does it with a feel for the linguistic differences between now and then."

Expressen

 

"Mats Strandberg has created a sensitive and empathic portrait of a complicated woman, living in a time of repression and condemnation."

Aftonbladet