The Sixteen Trees of the Somme
Norwegian author Lars Mytting presents a story of a young man searching not only for his identity but for the true meaning of the few memories of his early childhood. He remembers the love of his mother in her blue dress and his small wooden toy. He has been told his parents were both killed in woodland near the Somme battlefield in France and that he was missing for four days after that. He was then sent to Norway to live with elderly relatives.
The young man—his name in English is Edward—searches for the truth of his family’s story in Norway, the Shetland Islands, and France. His search takes the reader back to the battles of WW1 and its aftermath and to WW2. He faces conflicts not only with his feelings for the two young women he finds attractive but also with the different stories and perspectives he hears about his family’s history. The only truth appears to lie in the beautiful wood and the master craftsman who carved it.
Conceptually this novel delves into deep themes of love and revenge, and these are represented by the trees, their wood, and the craftsmanship that produces objects of great beauty.
The plot is complex, with twists and unexpected directions. The characters Edward meets are carefully drawn, yet the novel lacks much of the immediacy and intrigue one might expect from the themes that are developed. Similarly, the settings, from the storm-swept Shetland coast to the war-devastated woodlands of France, could be full of impact; instead, they are as flat as Edward’s potato field.
The many facets of this wide-ranging literary novel will give pleasure to the conscientious reader.
