A Glass of Milk, Please

Book Review

Herbjørg Wassmo’s «A Glass of Milk, Please» is a piercing and relentlessly honest tale of coming of age and loss of innocence set against the harsh realities of postwar Norway. Wassmo masterfully weaves the tragedy of little Dina into the fabric of the narrative, making her fate a symbol of vulnerability and the resilience of the human spirit. Critics praise the author’s vivid imagery and her ability to create an atmosphere of anxiety and hopelessness without descending into excessive pathos. The psychological depth of the characters is particularly impressive: Wassmo is unafraid to reveal their inner contradictions, fears, and hopes, exposing the complex nature of human emotion. The book leaves a bitter aftertaste, prompting reflection on the price of survival and the fragility of a child’s soul in the face of a cruel world. «A Glass of Milk, Please» is a work that does not let the reader go, drawing them back to its pages again and again in search of answers to the most difficult questions.