A Glass of Milk, Please

Brief Overview

In the novel «A Glass of Milk, Please», Herbjørg Wassmo tells with piercing honesty the story of a young Lithuanian girl, Dangele, who is forced to leave her homeland in search of a better life. Arriving in Norway, she faces a harsh reality: instead of the promised job, she finds a world of exploitation, fear, and humiliation. Amid the cold and indifference of a foreign country, Dangele desperately clings to hope and dignity, dreaming of simple human warmth—a glass of milk that becomes a symbol of lost childhood and faith in kindness. Wassmo masterfully portrays the heroine’s inner world, filled with pain yet an unbroken thirst for life, prompting the reader to reflect on the price of compassion and the strength to survive.