This Is All He Asks of You focuses on the story of Luna, a young girl who expresses her reality living with a terminally ill mother through a series of letters she writes to a father she has never met. Wise beyond her years, you feel as if you are living inside the skin of this young girl, where you see what she sees and feels what she feels in all its beauty and melancholy.

Her letters are incredibly moving.

She questions the fine line between life and death, "I wonder what happens to the light I see in people's bodies after they die";

..the importance of living in the moment,

"..nothing was complicated. If I just focused on the taste of the drink, and on the pie, and on the neighbour across from me, then everything was simple, and it felt good in my whole body, like honey"

..and she wonders what her father is like, “Mom sometimes tells me that I have your eyes. If that is so, we must be seeing the same kind of things.”

She feels responsible for her mother and the illness that is stealing her away, and yet feels helpless and angry with the father she doesn’t know. “I am only twelve years old,” she tells him, and “I wouldn’t have had to listen to all of this if you were around”.

Reading for me is not only about plot, but it’s the dance of the words and this book is a ballet! You feel that Anne Egseth has carefully and lovingly placed every word on the page, and in line with the strong theme of the ocean in the book, you can’t help feel that you are floating upon the prose, being gently led throughout the story.

I also love how the author has linked Luna’s nightmares of rescuing her mother from the dark sea with the lives lost in the ocean of refugees trying to make their way to safety from their nightmares in their home countries.

One critique I would make is I would have loved the story to continue a little longer. I feel that the book comes to an abrupt ending. We have experienced all of Luna’s thoughts getting to this point and I would have loved to stay in her head a little longer as she processed the new direction her life was taking as a young woman.

This is a remarkable first novel by Egseth, one that I know will keep on giving with a re-read. I haven’t stopped thinking of Luna since, to be honest. I really look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

A story that travels back and forth through time, from Norway in 2018, to Washington, DC in 2007 where it remains for the majority of this story. A story told mainly through the letters that twelve year-old Luna writes to her father, a father she has never met. A story of a young girl that is not only profoundly poignant, lovely, it has a sense of poetry and grace that seems so true to what this young girl is going through in her life.

’This is my attempt to create chronology, continuity and coherence out of a time I had wiped out of my memory. I don’t claim this is exactly what it was; this is me weaving a net of words, trying to catch this elusive, slippery voice from the past. I am following the thread back to a frozen girl buried deep inside my body; a twelve-year old who disappeared the day the light went out. As I write I remember, and as I remember, I create.’

As this story begins, she has just received a parcel, a shoe-box filled with the letters she had written but never sent, poems, photographs, even homework from her childhood, sent to her by an old friend, someone who kept it for her for ten years, and sends it to her at her Uncle’s in Norway, where she is staying. Words she had forgotten that she ever wrote, and it’s through these words that she remembers those days when she was twelve.

’I imagine that the trees are my family. The Oak in our backyard is a kind grandfather. I sit with my back against his strong trunk when I feel small. The Ash tree is speedy and brave, a superhero big brother, shooting fiery branches up towards the sky. There is an Ash down in the park that I sometimes visit when I’m feeling scared and don’t know what to do. The Azaleas in our front yard may not be trees, but I think of them as my beautiful cousins who come to visit in the spring, all dressed up in amazing red. The Cherry trees along our street are my aunties, and when they bloom my head spins with happiness, as they are the most beautiful aunties I could ever wish for.’

Living next door to Luna is a Vietnam Vet, a man she watches as he snail walks…very, very slowly, a man her mother, who is frequently not feeling well, dislikes. When her mother’s illness sends her to the hospital, he takes care of Luna, and eventually they become friends, a temporary, guardian / friend.

Luna is such a remarkable child, and her story is shared through beautiful prose, but this is a story that deserves to just be experienced for what it is - a lovely, moving story, one that I couldn’t, didn’t put down, and one I highly recommend.


Pub Date: 29 May 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by John Hunt Publishing Ltd.

I feel like this is a tough one to review... while I love the description of light and the pursuit of internal peace, I struggled because I was very confused for much of the book.

It is only in the external copy (not included in the narrative) that I found out Luna was 12 - and so I didn’t understand if she was innocent because she was young, or naive because she was sheltered, and this confusion made it hard for some of the more poignant moments to really resonate. Since I didn’t understand Luna’s age, the first bit of the book had me recalling ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue.

I do full on admit to crying, and having to go back and reread sections because I missed pieces through the tears- and the transition of light was beautifully crafted.

Final thoughts; interesting story told in an unconventional way with unique perspective.

Luna reads through letters she wrote as a child and relives the memories of that painful yet precious and formative time in her life. She never knew her father and her mother is now dying, still determined to not share the name of Luna’s father. I loved the fond memories Luna has of her mother but I can’t forgive her for not being forthcoming, especially while on her death bed.
That aspect aside, the walk down memory lane will trigger memories with anyone who has a heart. The eloquent writing, the perspective through a young girl’s eyes, the inevitable end that you know is coming all make this a heartwarming yet difficult read.
The ending was a bit of a surprise, no spoilers here, but I really thought we would end with a nice warm soft blanket wrapped around us. We didn’t. This makes this story so much more relatable. Life isn’t always fair, and Anne Egseth portrays this motto in such an eloquent way.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to John Hunt Publishing and NetGalley for making it available.)

Two things drew me to this book. I love epistolary novels and child narrators always affect me with their combination of innocence and wisdom, but what sealed the deal, and made me request an advanced copy of this book was the mention in the brief description of “human connection”. That’s what so much of life is about all of the time, but it feels especially important during this time when it’s difficult to be with family and friends. We visit in driveways and open spaces sitting apart with our masks on or touch the screen wishing we could hug. Virtual hugs and air kisses don’t seem enough, but they offer us a bit of the normal. I may be digressing, but it was hard not to think about this while reading.

Twelve year old Luna’s letters written to the father she never knows, beautifully and painfully express that need for connecting with each other. I’m not sure this one will be for everyone. It’s sometimes hard to believe that these profound thoughts are those of a twelve year old girl, but at the same time, there is something so genuine and innocent here . She’s lonely and afraid , grieving, needing someone to connect with. Her only friend was back in Norway until she meets her next door neighbor, Garrick, a Vietnam vet, who walks and walks around his backyard. The gift of friendship that he and Luna share when she is in Washington, DC and then continuing when she returns to Norway where she was born was touching and brought some light to this otherwise sad story. The beautiful gift that Garrick gives to Luna in the end brought tears, but they were good ones.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Roundfire Books through NetGalley.

I thought this was beautifully poetic in its simplicity and writing. Something about the blurb drew me in as I would not normally engage with this type of book. I absolute loved it and read it in one sitting pretty much. It manages to capture poignancy, heartbreak whilst being uplifting at the same time. Recommended for something different.

"Have you ever noticed how many kinds of quiet there are in the world?"

There is a certain amount of beauty and pain in letters not sent. The letters are not sent because she didn't want to send them, they were not sent because she didn't know where to send them...

Luna is twelve years old and writing letters to the father she never met. She lives with her Mother who is dying from Cancer. Soon, she will be living with her uncle in Norway but until then she lives with her Mother, befriends her next door neighbor, Garrick and writes letters to her father.

The letters in themselves are quite lovely. They felt like the realistic thoughts of a twelve year old girl who is forced to cope with her Mothers illness. I loved some of her thoughts, especially "I know he is a house cat, but seriously, how can a cat be so out of touch with his instincts."

The book subtly drew me into Luna's world. I loved her friendship with Garrick, her next door neighbor who walked slowly around his lawn. How they both were there for each other and were just what the other needed in their lives.

As Luna grows older, she begins corresponding with Garrick, who has become a dear friend and in the end gives her what she needs most.

I'll admit, I was skeptical after I read the first letter, but this book gently and subtly won me over and stole my heart. Highly recommend!


Thank you to John Hunt Publishing - Roundfire Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Even though the main character has some strange mental processes, I had no problem relating, and even better, the writing is so good that there's no problem following. In addition, the book really gets better and better, and is very hard to put down.

I read this story...a collection of letters... like drinking a large glass of delicious spring water. The writing is pure - simple - heart wrenching and luminous.

Anne Egseth inspired me with her debut. Told through the eyes of a twelve year old girl...Luna. She writes letters to her Dad....to wherever he may be in the world.
Occasionally she asks her dad a question in the letters that she’s writing.
“You have blue eyes as well, Dad, right?”
“Mom sometimes tells me that I have your eyes. If that is so, we must be seeing the same kind of things”.

Well, mom is dying. Luna knows she will be alone soon.

In the letters to her dad... she wrote about the storms, birds, trees, Thanksgiving, her best friend, her neighbor, her uncle, feeling sick or scared, about her mother’s illness, and how quiet the world is sometimes.
Luna also wrote about how her mother taught her to be grateful for life.

When Luna’s mother died she stopped writing.
The first time she picked up a pen to write again she was 22 years of age. She no longer wrote to her dad. She wrote for herself.

The stories within these pages...honors the innocence of children everywhere - their sharp eye observations - their courage - and resilience.

The adult Luna was back living in Norway, ( her birthplace), with her Uncle.
Now she writes to her neighbor- ( exchanging letters), with Garrick , a Vietnam vet who was very kind to Luna when she was a child...when she and her mother lived in Washington.
Once a week Luna and Garrick shared a phone call....( until he passed away)...
Garrick told Luna about the changes happening in the United States, about Obama, about the war in Afghanistan, about government shut downs, the Affordable Care Act, and the Dalai Lama at the White
House. He talk to her about Trump, the walls, immigration and gun laws.
They talked about women who took to the streets.

The bulk of the story .... is about a young girl trying to understand and find meaning in which the world she lives. Thousands of books have been written from a child’s perspective- their longings, hopes, despair, struggles, connections to others and our natural world....
But....
There is only one book written about Luna! PURE LOVE!

The warmth, and complexity of this story is gorgeous.

MY REVIEW

This is not a story, but a collection of letters that a girl Luna had written to his father when she was just twelve years old back in 2007. Now, same girl has got them back in 2018, and is reading them. Luna’s father had left her mother. Twelve year old, Luna is a different type of girl, different and much more creative from everyone else. She sees things in a different way. She thinks of swim-flying in the golden air. She sees trees interacting with each other through their fragrances. She sees a light in every living being, be it humans, dragonflies or trees. She always thinks what happens to the light in living being after their death. Her mother thinks she is a crazy-maker, always forcing her to get out of her dream world and be like everyone else, focus on education and work hard so that she can save for taxes and retirement in the future. Luna meets a new neighbor, Garrick, a Vietnam veteran who her mother thinks is a dangerous guy. When she meets him, he discusses with her about light in human beings, nature and life, which he learned through the Buddhists in Vietnam. She starts loving her neighbor. Her mother falls sick and is admitted into hospital for a week. Veteran takes care of her during that period. She loses her mother while sitting next to her in hospital. Then she moves out of US and settles with her Uncle Jacob in Norway.

“You see, through the thick, golden air, I know everything that is going on, behind me, above me, in front of me. I feel like a fish who knows it is living in the water. I can see and feel the waves created by other people. Those waves move me. I know who the others are, not their names or what they like for dinner, but the particular feeling there is in the light they have in them. Sometimes I meet someone who also knows they are being moved by the golden air. Then it is possible to swim-fly together. I think that must be what love is.”

WHAT I LIKED

There’s not much of a story or plot in the book. Stills it has left me teary-eyed at the end of the book. This is simply Master class from Anne Egseth. This book has a mix of emotions of a twelve year old girl and a spiritual message for love and life.

The Narration and Writing style of Anne is so simple yet so lyrical and beautiful, that it leaves a life-long impression on the reader. Some scenes related to death and grief are pretty disturbing, emotions of sadness and grief overtakes the reader and it becomes difficult to continue further.

OVERALL

Overall, this is a book that is written once in years and it’s not possible to understand emotions and message in it until one reads it by self. So, don’t wait just get yourself one copy and read it, trust me, you’ll not be disappointed.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I was surprised when reading the book that this is the author's debut novel. She is a really good writer. She captured my attention and told the story in such a way that I lost all track of time. There is so much to this story that flows right along to the very end. Anne, I enjoyed your first book and look forward to reading many more.

Oh, what to say about this hauntingly beautiful and lyrical novel? I'm teary-eyed writing this as I just finished, and the book touched me deeply. I love it when John Hunt Publishing sends me an ARC as they seem to intuit what I will like even when I might not have requested the title! This is the story of twelve-year-old Luna who is an enigma; she sees the world differently than other girls her age. There's a humming in her brain that guides her to examine people/things that others don't see or hear. She speaks of the "light" that somehow defines her life and sets her apart from others. Estranged from her father and living with a mother who is ill, she often feels isolated and writes letters to her father even though she has no idea where he is. Meeting a neighbor, Garrick who's a mentally broken Vietnam Vet, we witness her finding solace in the often-unspoken compassion of someone so different from her young self. So many poignant moments as we see her later as a twenty-two-year old who is still searching for answers but finds a way to accept life the way it is. So the heart of the message--especially in these uncertain times when we are all struggling to find meaning in light of tragedy--is to look for that "golden, liquid light" wherever you can find it; embrace and live your life knowing that "this is all He asks of you"!

A book and charactersI will not soon forget. I sat down to read for a little while and found myself reading late into the night.This is a very special story I Highly recommend this book .#netgalley#johnhunt

Excellent! This was a totally different read to my norm and cannot recall ever reading anything even remotely similar. It is beautifully written and one which draws you in right from the beginning. It is touching and thought provoking. I have wondered over the years with some of the thoughts that went through 12 yr old Luna's head. This is a story that will stay in my mind for some time to come. Hopefully it will not be too long before there is another book by Anne Egseth. A well deserved five stars. Recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review which i have voluntarily given.

Amazing writing!!!
I haven't read a book this good in such a long time!
I am so impressed!
This book gave me all the 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' kind of feels. And wow, the narration is so amazing! It's a little bit darker and more adult in comparison but the ease of narration and the depth are just incomparable.
This is one of those books you will not ask much about the plot or the storyline. This is one of those rare books where the book just takes you to someplace which will cocoon you to feel something nice and warm even though your heart is breaking inside of you.
Let not the book cover deceive you. The content is just rare art.
As I have said before, this is the kind of book which I will not tell you what the story is about. The description does well as long as the book goes. But it's the narration that will just take you deeper and deeper until there's no going back. It's like seeping your favourite cup of tea. Sometimes it just scalds you, because of the burn. Sometimes it just understands you because you know the taste. The character feels so real that you will feel like she is right next to you telling you her story.
I just love this book. It seems like it's a biography almost!
You have to read this one to feel it.
It feels so real and genuine.
Trigger warning though: some parts you might find disturbing regarding dead and grief parts.

Thank you #NetGalley for the book #ThisIsAllHeAsksOfYou

I absolutely adored this book. The characters were so real that it sucked you in and made you feel a part of the story. You didn't want it to end!

This is the kind of story I've been waiting for for a long time. This isn't a typical story and breaks so many boundaries. It truly was a page-turner and though I tried to be reasonable, I couldn't literally put it down. Read it in one sitting. The writing style most particularly was deep and touching. I must admit I cried during one particular scene but I won't speak of it here because of spoilers.