A Glass of Milk, Please

Book Review

Herbjørg Wassmo's novel «A Glass of Milk, Please» is a poignant and unflinchingly honest narrative about the fragility of human fate and the strength of survival. The author masterfully weaves the story of young Mila, who finds herself in a foreign country where each new day becomes a test of endurance, into the fabric of the narrative. Wassmo does not shy away from addressing pain and humiliation, fear and loneliness, yet she does so with remarkable delicacy, allowing the reader not only to empathize with the heroine but also to reflect on the nature of compassion. Critics note that the novel's language is marked by restrained poetry, and its atmosphere by a tense transparency, reminiscent of northern air filled with the anticipation of change. «A Glass of Milk, Please» is not merely a story of migration and exploitation, but also a profound meditation on human dignity, which can endure even in the face of the harshest injustice. The book leaves a lingering aftertaste, prompting readers to return to its pages again and again, seeking in Mila's fate the reflection of countless unnamed destinies of our time.