The Sixteen Trees of the Somme: A Novel

Summary

The death of Edvard’s parents, when he was three, has always been a mystery, but he knows that the fate of his grandfather’s brother, Einar, is somehow connected. One day a coffin is delivered to the farm for his grandfather, long before the grandfather’s death—a meticulous, beautiful, and unique piece of craftsmanship with the hallmarks of a certain master craftsman—raising the thought that Einar isn’t dead after all.

Edvard is now driven to unravel the mystery of his parents’ death. Following a trail of clues from Norway to the Shetland Islands to the battlefields of France and sixteen ancient walnut trees colored by poison gas in World War I, Edvard ultimately discovers a very unusual inheritance.

Spanning a century and masterfully navigating themes of revenge and forgiveness, love and loneliness, The Sixteen Trees of the Somme displays the rich talents of international bestselling novelist Lars Mytting in a story that is utterly compelling and unforgettable.