On Monday, February 17th, the Tacoma Sister Cities Book Club convened for its monthly meeting at King’s Books.
This month, the conversation focused on Tacoma’s long-standing sister city relationship with Ålesund, a port town on the west coast of Norway.February’s book selection was Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes, a short story collection written by Per Petterson, one of Norway’s most famous contemporary writers. Most attendees appreciated the author’s concise writing style and profound ability for conveying the experience of an innocent mid-1900’s childhood. The group’s discussion included a range of interesting topics, including mainstream Norwegian views on raising children, Scandinavian education models, and the impact of World War II on modern-day Norway.
The Ålesund Sister City Committee graciously provided delicious and authentic Norwegian snacks, including a variety of Norwegian holiday cookies. The elegant almond-cardamom cookies were especially well-received. The Ålesund Sister City Committee also offered homemade cardamom bread rolls as a great savory snack, served with a unique selection of toppings including a dark brown goat cheese known as gjetost or brunost. And although the book club meeting was held late at night, fresh coffee was a must. With one of the world’s very highest coffee consumption rates per capita, it is never too late for a cup of coffee in Norway!
Author: Per Petterson is the author of books including In the Wake, To Siberia, and I Curse the River of Time. Out Stealing Horses has won the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize. The New York Times Book Review named it one of the 10 best books of the year. A former bookseller, Petterson lives in Oslo, Norway.
Animator of the Book Club: Hunter White. Learn more about Hunter here
