Children's Books · Hardback

A Piece Of Me

Norwegian title: En del av meg

Maren Engelschiøn

Ida has always felt a bit of an outsider. There was mother, sister – and Ida. She never met her father. He was half Native American, a professor at a university in Minnesota where mother had studied 19 years before. Then she learns that her father had two more sons, and she decides to find them.

Ida registers for a summer course at the same university, travels to USA and starts the search. But meeting with the Indians, with her studies, with new friends – and not least with Will – gives her a totally different summer from what she expected.

Impressive debut for young readersThe writer is a good observer, describing smells, tastes, experiences and feelings in a way that make the story vivid for the reader. Her journalistic background also shines through in the shape of plenty of knowledge about writing, journalism and ethics, the things the main character Ida thaught in her classes. We also learn a lot about Native Americans and American history. Even if the environment described is unknown, the issues it addresses is easy to identify with. And it is an exciting read.DAGBLADET