Emily Forever

In this novel about poverty, social inequality, and class contempt in Norway, nineteen-year-old supermarket worker Emily is single, pregnant, and struggling to make ends meet. Em's nineteen years old and pregnant. Her boyfriend Pablo has gone out "to take care of something" and hasn't returned. Her mother, who raised Emily alone, moves into the little apartment to help. Meanwhile, Em's neighbour, who may or may not be a clergyman, wonders if it's normal to be so infatuated with someone you've never spoken to. Em's boss at the supermarket might have feelings for her too, if only she'd notice. Emily Forever is a poignant, achingly hard-hitting book about class and about digging deep to find what it takes to get by. At the same time, it's a deeply original exploration of how a girl like Emily is seen from the outside, by those who think they know who she is and how her life is supposed to pan out. Empathetic and quizzical, and scathingly humorous, Emily Forever is a novel of unyielding solidarity and smoldering social dissent, by a new star of Scandinavian literature.

In this novel about poverty, social inequality, and class contempt in Norway, nineteen-year-old supermarket worker Emily is single, pregnant, and struggling to make ends meet. Em's nineteen years old and pregnant. Her boyfriend Pablo has gone out "to take care of something" and hasn't returned. Her mother, who raised Emily alone, moves into the little apartment to help. Meanwhile, Em's neighbour, who may or may not be a clergyman, wonders if it's normal to be so infatuated with someone you've never spoken to. Em's boss at the supermarket might have feelings for her too, if only she'd notice. Emily Forever is a poignant, achingly hard-hitting book about class and about digging deep to find what it takes to get by. At the same time, it's a deeply original exploration of how a girl like Emily is seen from the outside, by those who think they know who she is and how her life is supposed to pan out. Empathetic and quizzical, and scathingly humorous, Emily Forever is a novel of unyielding solidarity and smoldering social dissent, by a new star of Scandinavian literature.

Emily er nitten år gammel og gravid. Hun er tung og træt. Hendes småkriminelle kæreste, Pablo, tog af sted en aften og kommer nok ikke tilbage. I skemaet hos sundhedsplejersken står der: ”Alene med barn”. Engang forlod Emilys far også hendes mor, som opfostrede Emily alene. Nu flytter moren ind hos Emily, for at passe på hende. I supermarkedet, hvor hun arbejder, forsøger hendes chef at passe på hende. Det samme gør naboen, som Emily kalder præsten. Romanens fortæller undersøger med et kritisk og ømt blik, hvordan Emily bliver betragtet af gennem andres blikke – dem der tror, de ved, hvem hun er, og hvordan hendes liv vil forme sig. Emily forever er en roman om at være menneske og ofte føle sig dum i verden, og om hvordan vi bliver til dem, vi er, i det samfund vi lever i. Emily forever er en bog om klasseforskelle, om hverdagen og om at finde frem til det i én selv, som gør det muligt at klare sig. Det er også en roman om paradoksal livsglæde, trodsig solidaritet og ulmende oprørstrang. Maria Navarro Skaranger (f. 1994) er fra Oslo. Hendes debutroman Alle udlændinge har lukkede gardiner (2016) blev nomineret til Tarjej Vesaas´debutantpris i 2015. I 2018 udkom Bok om sorg (Fortellingen om Nils i skogen). Skaranger har modtaget EUs litteraturpris i 2020, Bjørnsonstipendet i 2019, Osloprisen i 2018 og Debutantprisen i 2015. Hun blev nomineret til kritikerprisen for Emily forever.