Very interesting read. Loved learning about Iceland and then the contrast of France. Characters and storyline are spot on. Ilse and Po’s love story is enduring. Highly recommend this well written book. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

To be honest, I've never read a book with the setting of Greenland. I loved the author's detailed descriptions of the landscape and the experience as a native Greenland resident. This captivated me from the start.

But the real meat of the story was the arrival in Provence. I absolutely loved the lush details, where I could feel the land, see the views and taste all of the elements. The characters felt real and relatable - and experienced natural flows of life.

I loved the inclusion of poetry and song. I could imagine the melodies and hear the recitations. This was a welcome addition!

I ended up loving this book far more than I expected to - and would definitely recommend! Thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse for the ARC!

I loved this gentle, poetic, luminous story about a woman who finds her true self by leaving her ordinary life. The author made the settings, a remote island off Greenland, and the south of France in Provence, live and breathe and impact the action of and the characters of the novel. The relationships of the main character, Ilse, with her family, her former lover, and friends in Greenland, and the aging poet and his family in Provence, are so believably and tenderly developed. The exploration of finding one's true self, and navigating love, grief, and loss, is wonderfully done. The fact that the novel deals with characters who love language and words is a bonus for me, since that has always been my obsession also. This one will stay with me--it's the sort of novel to reread from time to time. If you prefer tense action and an intricate plot, this may not be the book for you, but for readers who love a character-driven storyline, this is a great one.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very comforting, emotional book.
Ilse is born and raised in the very hostile environment of Greenland. Living a good, but somewhat complacent life. Translating French words to English and Greenlandish. She has good friends and family, a good life, but dreams of her time to come to visit her beloved France. When the opportunity arises, she jumps on it, which begins the story of a love of place and people, that the author does such a great job making you feel those connections.
This book completely transports you to the icy, dangerous shores of Greenland to the warm, sunny skies of Provence. When the author was describing each place, I could feel the cold or the warmth, it was described so well. I have not read a book that is focused on a translator, and I really found that aspect of it very intriguing.
At times it felt a bit rushed to me in regards to the romance, and Po’s condition. But it wasn’t enough to make me dislike the book at all.
I thought that the ending was really well done, and I would absolutely recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballentine Books for this e-ARC.

A Northern Light in Provence follows a translator, Ilse. Ilse's specialty is translating French into Danish and English. The first interesting, unexpected plot twist is that she is based in Greenland and has never set foot in France. Her employer asks her to translate a book of poetry in a very rare, uncommon French dialect, Provencal. The story proceeds from that basis. But the unique attribute of this book are the unending, interesting plot twists that captures the reader and won't allow the reader to let go - even at the very end. I loved A Northern Light in Provence and I know you will too.

A Northern Light in Provence is about a translator from Greenland who has always dreamed of traveling to France. She is chosen to translate the works of a Provençal poet and negotiates a deal to travel there to work with him personally. The writing swept me off to Provence and the romance, scenery, and food had me wanting to spend a month in the South of France myself. Thank you to @netgalley for the arc! This novel publishes May 21st!

Thank you @randomhouse and @netgalley for the eARC of A Northern Light In Provence by @elizabethbirkelund in expxhange for an honest review.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 There is energy all around us, from the land to the people living on it, energy that can both energize and drain individuals. Ilse has been raised in the Inuit culture in Greenland, where this energy is woven through daily life. In a community that is energized and sustained by the bonds of its people, Isle yearns to escape the arctic tundra. A Northern Light in Provence is a beautiful tale of manifesting a dream into reality through hope and hard work. When Isle finally has the chance to leave Greenland to travel to France, she has to follow her heart and reconcile her personal hopes with cultural norms. Elizabeth Birkelund blends these two worlds into an absolutely stunning story, a culturally rich and immersive coming of age journey.

5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date.

A terrific novel with an unusual backdrop… Greenland and Provence! I had no idea what to expect and I was thrilled to read this exceptional story of a multilingual Greenland resident who is translator from French to English and in reverse if necessary. Ilse is one of the most interesting main characters I have ever met. She lives in a cottage ready to slide into the glacier in a tiny town in Greenland and travels to Provence to meet and translate a famed poet’s newest book. The author captures both environments with superb descriptions of the light, the mountains, the flowers, the smells, the people. Ilse experiences an intellectual relationship with the port that changes her life. I loved the book!

Ilse, living on the island of Greenland, works as a translator. Offered a plum job of translating the French Poet's book of poetry in, of all places, Provence, France, she is torn. It's a long way from home, she is not fond of planes, and what if she fails and her translations don't measure up. She puts on her brave front, and goes, leaving friends and family behind. In France, she finds a culture completely different from what she has grown up with - people are open, friendly, speaking to strangers and accepting them as they are. She falls in love with Provence first and with her poet and his son later. Eventually, her job ends and she returns to Greenland. She has changed but the people have not - or have they changed as well? Is she looking at them through a new lense?

This book is not for everyone. The writing is beautiful and lyrical. Some will look at the realities of Ilse's life, others will see the enchanting beauty that is around all of us.

I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book. I was expecting more of a novel about Provence. What we get is a look at what daily life and love in Greenland and then Provence. I loved reading about the Greenland part of the novel but found it to be a bit too long at first. Upon finishing the novel, I realized that the information at the beginning was necessary to the story. I loved the love story of poetry and translation between the Poet and our main character. We experience a small village in Provence with new eyes and marvel through her eyes. I won’t tell who she ends up with, but it a life affirming journey. I recommend this novel.

A Northern Light in Provence has all the makings of a great story but sadly I don't think this story was for me.

We follow Ilse a translator living in Greenland who has never traveled anywhere but dreams of visiting France but she finally get the opportunity when she is asked to translate a book of poetry.

This is the first book I've ever read about a translator and I enjoyed that part of the story and the descriptions of France were beautiful. However, the third person writing style was a struggle for me and I didn't feel connected to Ilse. In fact, I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. I realized I wasn't excited to continue and decided not to finish it. I won't be rating this story since I didn't finish it but I do thank Netgally and Random House for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A tender and romantic novel that blends love , language , and cultural undertones..The writing is atmospheric and will transport the reader to beautiful Provence. An excellent story.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

4 stars

This is an understated novel that will really please readers who appreciate atmosphere and character development.

Ilse lives in Greenland, works as a translator, and has an opportunity to visit Provence to work with a poet who will present a welcome linguistic and cultural challenge. For me, the two locations - Greenland and Provence - were major selling points for picking up this read, and they do not disappoint. Readers get a real sense of Ilse's life in Greenland, especially considering her simultaneous separation from others and inability to escape the same folks over and over again. The weather and scenery also really drive parts of the plot and Ilse's development, and I loved reading about these elements since I have exactly no experience in Greenland and was curious. I do have some experience in Provence, and I enjoyed the portion of the book that is set there for the opposite reason: relatability. There's something very particular about the air, the colors, the romantic quality, and the natural scenery in that region, and Ilse's personal realizations and changes seemed realistically intertwined with the landscape. The settings in this book are as important as the individual characters and, in fact, markedly shape those characters.

Ilse has a lot of growth to accomplish when the novel begins, but she never comes off as foolish or helpless, common and irritating traits in female protagonists of this age group. She's cerebral but reasonable, as well as hopeful and resilient. She's a great character, and while this is not an action-packed book, it proved a welcome change of pace for me and will be a lush, engaging read for many.

I loved this book. Why? The language is beautiful, it compares two disparate cultures—Nordic vs Provence both in story and in rhythm; there are feelings for three men of different backgrounds and ages; the descriptions of the settings are exquisite and made me want to travel, and it explores the inner thought life of a thinking woman as well as subtle differences that culture and related languages make. The writer has captured my imagination about life and post-life, about place and time, about men and women, about weather and about the nature of rescuing and being a savior. It’s a valiant and captivating read. I'd give it more than 5 stars if it was possible.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the Advanced Review copy.

A Northern Light In Provence is a book about love: a love affair, love between father and son, love of poetry, and love of nature. A character-driven novel, we watch Ilse grow as she leaves Greenland for the first time to meet a troubadour poet in Provence, France. She learns the nuances of poetry, the beauty of France, and meets a friend in her poet. This is a book about self-discovery amidst love.

Ilse is a young woman, a translator who lives and works from her isolated home in Greenland where she continues to mourn the loss of her brother five years prior. When she is asked to translate a book of poetry from a troubadour in Provence, she requests a trip to Provence from her publisher that will change her life forever. This beautifully written novel is about all the different kinds of love that are out there if we are only open to receiving it.

I felt myself identifying with Ilse. I shut myself off from the world following the death of my fiancée. I didn't have the amazing opportunity to travel to another country to meet a poet, but, my life isn't a book. It took a bit to get into the writer's style, but the book flowed well after I did. The characters could have used a bit more depth, but otherwise still a very solid read.

A NORTHERN LIGHT IN PROVENCE is about a woman's journey to France to translate poems of a local poet and the people she encounters during her time there. I thought the writing was beautiful (especially describing the scenery of France) and had a nice flow to it. But I found the plot itself rushed enough that it made it feel like there were gaps that I didn't find it necessarily believable at times. But I can see other people enjoying this book and the escapism of it. I did appreciate the message and reminder that a thing that doesn't work out in life was just the bridge to lead you to the real thing that was always meant for you.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It was a good escapist book!

What a beautiful written story. Ilse lives in a small cottage in Greenland. She lives with an adoring cat while translating books from English to French or French to English. Here women are expected to marry and have children at an early age. If they do not it seems that people think of them differently and there is often a sense of disappointment from the community and even some family members.

Ilse ends up in Provence to translate a book. France is a culture shock as she hasn’t been outside of Greenland very often. The time Ilse spends in Provence, the people she meets, the warmth she feels for the first time in her life enchanted me. But it is when she gets back to Greenland that she realized who her real love is. There is much more to being a woman and this books shows it. It made me cray and laugh. It also showed me that there is genuinely true love out there.


I will do a longer review of this book in a few weeks.