Hi there! I’m here to discuss another advanced reader’s copy I was granted access to through NetGalley. *And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.*
Today I’m here to talk a little bit about the novel A Question Mark is Half a Heart, an adult fiction novel by Sofia Lundberg. In my February Buzzwordathon post, I discuss this author’s prior work, The Red Address Book, which I found to be an incredibly fascinating and moving novel. A Question Mark is Half a Heart was originally published in Swedish in 2018, and has been translated to English by Nicola Smalley for release in the U.S. in March, 2021. I was approved for an early copy on NetGalley and I just want to share my thoughts it!
From the book’s Goodreads page: “Elin has the perfect life. A successful photographer, she lives in New York with her husband, Sam, and their seventeen-year-old daughter, Alice. But something has also been missing… When Elin receives a letter from her childhood friend, Fredrick, on the Swedish island of Gotland, memories come flooding back: of a past she has tried to forget, and a terrible secret she has shared with nobody – a secret that made her flee the island, and never return. Torn between past and present and afraid the truth will destroy her family, Elin sets out on a journey to another continent, but also to another time and another life.”
I had been approved for a while before picking up this book, and decided not to reread the synopsis so as to not have any expectations – which I found to be a good decision for me personally, as the reveals later had more of an impact. We’re immediately introduced to Elin, a successful photographer who’s good at her job, but seems to be using her work as a distraction. When she doesn’t quite want to head home, she grabs her mail and walks to a nearby bar, and while sifting through the envelopes comes across a letter from someone (Fredrick) in her past, a past she has been concealing for years. Then we are catapulted back 30 years, where the pieces of Elin’s childhood start to fit into place. I thought that that the author did an incredible job at depicting just how much your past can affect your present and future. While Elin refuses to acknowledge it, she gets many of her coping mechanisms from her own mother, while manifesting in different ways to account for the change in time and location. As we the readers start to unravel Elin’s childhood, we come to understand why she behaves a certain way, and while we may not agree with her decisions we can see why she makes them. I will say that I felt the pacing was a bit off at times, as we get so much buildup to about 70% and then something extremely important is revealed, which causes the plot to just pick up speed until the end. Sometimes I thought there was imbalance between past and present day – I would have preferred to have something specific in Elin’s present day remind her of her past, and then jump into that period of her life, and some of the chapter breaks just felt a bit disjointed to me. Elin also comes across a bit apathetic – when Sam or Alice compliment her, or do nice things for her, she doesn’t seem very thankful, and when they confront her about it she says she appreciates them, but her actions tell a different story. And lastly, I wish there was better closure in regards to Sam – we do see some really good development towards the very end of the novel (most prominently the last “now” chapter), but I wish we could have explored his and Elin’s growth together a little more.
In conclusion, I thought this was a great novel exploring how your past, or rather how you perceive your past (as perception can become cloudy), can affect how you respond to events in your present and future. The writing style is certainly something that will keep me returning to Sofia Lundberg’s work, if I am interested in the premise. A Question Mark is Half a Heart is set to be released (in English) on March 23rd, 2021 (which should be the day this post goes live), so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday (again) and consider picking up a copy if it sounds like something you’d enjoy. I’m definitely interested to see everyone’s thoughts about this novel. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Where to find A Question Mark is Half a Heart:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
HMH (publisher)
Thoughts About Things 