My Mother Says

Ably translated by Simpson, Pilgaard’s first novel, an award-winner in Denmark, is an amusing story about recovering from heartbreak. (A later novel, The Land of Short Sentences, was published by World Editions last year.) Reeling from being dumped by her long-term girlfriend, the protagonist of the book bounces between wallowing in her sadness, trying to win back her ex, and seeking advice from various supportive family members and friends, including her doting priest father, her dramatic and overbearing mother, her childhood best friend, and her new therapist. The story’s strength is in its cast of eccentric characters, as well as its honest portrayal of grieving a failed relationship and the self-pitying nature of the narrator. Told like a rambling story from a friend, the novel has no paragraph breaks, which gives a sense of urgency and brings readers closer to the protagonist. Between each chapter are beautiful poetic interludes from the main character to all the people she has loved before—whether for an instant or for years—who have taken up residence inside of her.