The Cold Song
Siri and Jon have always enjoyed their summers on the coast of Norway. Although staying with Siri’s domineering mother can be difficult, the couple has friends there, and the home holds special meaning from Siri’s childhood. That all changes the summer they hire Milla as nanny to their youngest daughter. Milla’s presence adds to the already growing distance between Siri and Jon and unlocks a restlessness in Siri. Then, on the night of a party no one wanted Siri to throw, Milla disappears. Throughout the ensuing search and subsequent murder investigation, the story flits through time, space, and narrators, clearly envisaging the turmoil of all those involved. In her fifth novel, Ullman demonstrates her expertise in inhabiting the minds of complex characters, including Milla’s grieving parents; a neighbor who may have been the last to see Milla alive; Siri’s aging mother; Siri’s elder daughter, who has a violent temper; and, of course, the beleaguered couple, Siri and Jon. Readers who appreciate an unconventional narrative flow will find this a deeply moving story of troubled relationships and unsettled memories. --Cortney Ophoff