Literature and Fiction · Paperback

The Poplars on St. Hanshaugen

Norwegian title: Poplene på St.Hanshaugen

Bjørg Vik

In the years after the war, Elsi Lund is a young girl facing confirmation, friendships, infatuations, and the first tentative steps toward adulthood. She moves between new environments and crossroads — from the cramped tenement building on St. Hanshaugen to secondary school and gymnasium and experiences both the freedom and the limitations that come with them. Through Elsi, post-war Oslo is reflected: a city in transition, marked by class divisions, dreams, and the emergence of a new era.

With her distinctive eye for detail, and with warmth, humour, and precision, Bjørg Vik portrays how small events can have big ripple effects in a young person’s life. The Poplars on St. Hanshaugen is both a historical portrait and a gripping coming-of-age novel — a story about longings, coincidences, and the struggle to find one’s own way.

The Poplars on St. Hanshaugen is the standalone continuation of Small Keys, Big Rooms, and the second volume in Bjørg Vik’s unforgettable trilogy about Elsi Lund.