The Ice Palace, by Tarjei Vesaas

Welcome to our English-speaking book club!! This event is free. All you need to do is read the book and share your reflections and feelings about it with the group! Everyone is welcome! ☺️

This month's pick is "The Ice Palace", by Tarjei Vesaas.

The Book

The schoolchildren call it the Ice Palace: a frozen waterfall in the Norwegian fjords transformed into a fantastic structure of translucent walls, sparkling towers and secret chambers. It fascinates two young girls, lonely Unn and lively Siss, who strike up an intense friendship. When Unn decides to explore the Ice Palace alone and doesn't return, Siss must try to cope with the loss of her friend without succumbing to a frozen world of her own making.

The Author

Tarjei Vesaas (1897–1970) was one of Norway’s most important 20th-century writers. Born in Vinje, a rural area of Telemark, he drew deeply on the landscapes, rhythms, and silences of the Norwegian countryside. Vesaas wrote novels, short stories, poetry, and plays in Nynorsk, Norway’s second written language. His work is known for its spare, lyrical style and its focus on inner life, isolation, fear, and moments of human connection—often seen through the eyes of children or socially marginalized characters. Among his best-known novels are The Birds (1957) and The Ice Palace (1963), the latter of which won the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 1964. Vesaas is widely admired for combining psychological depth with powerful natural imagery.