Tar

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER PUBLISHED IN 31 COUNTRIES. THE ONLY NOVEL TO RECEIVE AT ONCE FOUR OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS LITERARY AWARDS IN SCANDINAVIA. “BOOK OF 2018” ACCORDING TO THE GUARDIAN, THE TELEGRAPH, AND DAILY EXPRESS.

Liv died when she was just six years old. A boat with a little girl crashed at night out at sea. At least, that’s the story her father, Jens, told the authorities. But reality turned out to be completely different…

In a tiny house on a secluded island, behind boxes of assorted junk filling Jens Haarder’s workshop, his daughter is hiding. She doesn’t go to school, doesn’t make friends, and spends her time talking to trees. And all because Jens, who suffers from obsessive behavior, loves her far too much. He tries to protect Liv, shelter her, hide her from the entire world… and this love, which has grown into obsession, warps the reality of the girl. For her, it’s normal to sneak to the neighbors at night and steal their things. Normal—the twin brother that nobody can see. Normal—when her father kills her grandmother. But one day the familiar life of the Haarder family starts to fall apart…

A troubling, heartbreaking story about what can happen when you love someone too much—when the desire to protect becomes the greatest harm.

“Highly original… It reminded me of Stephen King at his best: terrifying like hell, but with compassion for every character, no matter how lost they may be.” — Jake Kerridge, Daily Telegraph

“Delightfully chilling… this novel competes with the bleakest fantasies of the Brothers Grimm.” — Observer

“‘Tar’ is one of the most outstanding books I’ve read in a very long time. Wonderful, convincing, and beautifully written… it’s no surprise that ‘Tar’ is the winner of four of the most prestigious literary awards in Scandinavia. International awards will undoubtedly follow.” — Daily Express

“A blood-chilling story about what a man is capable of when protecting his family and his way of life. Liv and the terrifying place where she manages to survive will stay with me for a long time.” — Claire Fuller, author of the novel “Sweet Orange Bitters”