Winter Stories

Here are three contemporary tales about personal resilience in the face of adversity. We meet a teenager on the run from social services with her younger half-siblings in tow; a young single mother  struggling to provide adequately for her daughter; and an ex-convict striving to overcome personal shortcomings and build a relationship with his son. 

Driven by a fundamental need to secure and protect relationships with loved ones, Ingvild H. Rishøi's characters stumble, fall and climb to their feet again—even though the deck always seems to be stacked against them. What these stories illustrate is how small victories and the unexpected compassion of virtual strangers can have a profound impact on us. With empathy and sensitivity, the poetic sensibilities of Rishøi's literary voice illuminates the fragility of the human condition. In a time when the level of scepticism and distrust between people is rising, these stories remind us of the humanity that unites us all.