Ashes in My Mouth Sand in My Shoes

What makes Petterson's storytelling so mesmerising is his measured, gentle restraint Scotland on Sunday

"If you loved Out Stealing Horses, you won't be disappointed by his razor-sharp debut. The language is simple, beautiful and cleansed of literary affectation. There is not a single superfluous word" Ekstrabladet (Denmark) "These father-son stories bring us the first meeting with one of Nordic literature's most lovable characters, Arvid Jansen. A mixture of Alfons Aberg, Ingemar from My Life as a Dog and in part Oskar from The Tin Drum ... New readers should begin nowhere but here" Euroman (Denmark) "There is both humour and tenderness. Petterson masters the art of writing simply of big subjects. As a reader, you have to read slowly and attentively to register everything, or read the book twice, which you gladly will" Kristeligt Dagblad (Norway)