The White City - Karolina Ramqvist

Karin knew what she was getting herself into when she fell for John, the high-flying criminal and love of her life. But she never imagined things would turn out like this: John is now gone and the coke-filled parties, seemingly endless flow of money and high social status she previously enjoyed have been replaced by cut telephone lines, cut heat and cut cash. All that remains of Karin's former life is the big house he bought for her - and his daughter, the child Karin once swore she would never bring into their dangerous world.

Now Karin is alone with the baby, and the old promise of 'the family' has proved alarmingly empty. With the authorities zeroing in on organized crime, John's shady legacy is catching up with her, and the house is about to be seized. Over the course of a few nerve-wracking days, Karin is forced to take drastic measures in order to claim what she considers rightfully hers.

A slow-burning psychological thriller with a sophisticated, dreamlike atmosphere, The White City is both the portrayal of one woman's struggle to pull herself up from the paralyzing depths of despair, and an unflinching examination of what it means to lose control - over your body, your life and your fate.

My thoughts:
It did feel strange when I realised I was reading a book translated from my own language, oops. The translation seems to have been done well from what I can see.

This is a novella about a few days in Karin's life. Something has happened. She is now left with a big house. No money. Too many bills to pay and her man is gone. Jail, dead, something. And she has a baby to care for in a freezing house.

Karin, well she is obviously someone who is not great caring for herself. She needs a man to do things for her. She is left with resentment now when she never wanted a kid and now she has one. She is trying to find a few out of the mess that has been left to her. So did I care for her, not at first, but she does try to pick herself up, even if not always by the best ways.

I liked the quietness of her watching her young daughter play and not saying anything because Kari never talks to the child anyway. Which of course is horrible.

But I did feel it would have been better to read the previous book. Not that it is a series but there seems to be a book before this one where she is trapped in that same house, alone and wanting him there. Right, the house is important, aha, this is one of those books you should dissect at the table of literature. Great now I can feel my uni degree awakening, better step away.

Conclusion:
A short novella that takes no time at all to read

Cover
I do like snow

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Grove Press; Main edition (3 Aug. 2017)
Translator: Saskia Vogel
Fiction
For review