In the book “And Grandfather Breathed with the Waves” Trude Teige takes readers on a journey into the past. It's about war, imprisonment and love.
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It is the year 1943 - in the middle of the Second World War - the crew of a merchant ship on the Indian Ocean off the coast of Java is in danger. They are shot at and taken prisoner by Japanese soldiers. Konrad is separated from his brother Sverre. Konrad is able to save himself in a small boat and stay alive for several days. He makes it to shore and is treated in hospital.
Trude Teige “And Grandfather breathed with the waves”
Her grandfather Konrad was always the rock for the young June. But he never spoke about the place that had the most impact on him. Only now does Juni find out where her loving grandfather learned to breathe with the waves. 1943: The brothers Konrad and Sverre's merchant ship is attacked in the Indian Ocean. In the hospital, Konrad falls in love with the nurse Sigrid. But their happiness is threatened: they are taken prisoner separately. What future awaits them beyond the sea?
Blurb/p. Fisherman
After Konrad was recovered in the hospital - also through the care of Sigrid - the situation for the population worsened. As a result, more and more European civilians are being put into labor camps. Also Sigrid and Konrad. She comes to a women's camp with her sister and mother and makes sure that the small family survives. Konrad comes to a men's camp with other Europeans and finds real friendship in the fight for survival.
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Anomalies in “And Grandfather Breathed with the Waves”
The book tells the story over a period of four years, starting in 1943 and ending the story in 1947. There are different perspectives of the characters, the story is told from the perspective of Konrad, Sigrid or Sverre. Readers get to experience the different experiences intensively. In this context, the narrative pace in the first part of the book also seems quite high. The pace slows down when it comes to the experiences in the camps; these are told clearly and given a lot of space in the novel by author Trude Teige. The sections are about cohesion, diseases, miserable hygienic conditions, little food and the arbitrariness of the occupiers. Nevertheless, ways are shown to survive under the adverse conditions and never completely give up hope.
The focus, however, is Konrad as Juni Bjerke's grandfather. June herself only appears in the book in the foreword and afterword - unlike in the first volume "When Grandmother Danced in the Rain", readers here have to do without the memories, current inserts and experiences of the granddaughter. The connection to the first volume is still clear; those interested do not necessarily have to have read the first book beforehand, although it doesn't hurt to have done so.
Conclusion to “And Grandfather Breathed with the Waves”
A very readable book that could be more relevant than ever. The insights into people's living conditions and feelings provide clues to the traumas that are suffered and ultimately passed on to generations. Even if the story of the protagonists is fiction, it could have played out in a similar way. As a reader, you experience people's suffering and yet, or perhaps because of that, you are kept in the book. What is remarkable is the courage, friendship and love that people can muster in difficult times, as the author Trude Teige has wonderfully highlighted. It's a shame that there is a lack of insight into the memories of granddaughter Juni, who in the first book more impressively demonstrated the threads of the past and the effects trauma can have on later generations. The book also describes that after the surrender of the Japanese emperor in 1945, “God save our gracious Queen” was sung by the British prisoners. However, King George VI reigned at the time. – so it should have been called “King”. Queen Elizabeth II reigned from 1952 to 2022.
Author Trude Teige
Trude Teige comes from Norway and works there as a journalist, TV presenter and author. She has three grown children and lives with her family on the Oslofjord. The first volume of the Generations series “When Grandmother Danced in the Rain” was on the SPIEGEL bestseller list for months. The second part from the grandfather's perspective was published on March 27, 2024.