Next Stop: Sejer Island

Synopsis

Next Stop: Sejer Island is a collection of short stories, pieces of lives and incidents assembled from a small Danish island community. Every inhabitant plays a role, and bonding is significant. And it is within these bonds the stories develop. What do citizens of Sejer Island do when there is no drinking water? What do they do when there are no fish? How do they survive the cold, cold winters?

No matter what the obstacle, there is always an answer. The everyday hero, the one who makes the wheels turn, comes through again and again. The school teacher who teaches a music lesson under a shade tree near the rubble of a burned-down schoolhouse or the fisherman who knows that the last fish isn’t caught yet.

This collection offers stories in which hope and humour generally triumph, along with a stubborn, determined people. Characters are more often moved to action by good intentions, and change comes as a slow, steady progression. Yet what remains is a blessed contentment with familiar island ways.

Next Stop: Sejer Island reminds us that “no man is an island.”

Praise for this Book

‘How can a tiny Danish island of only 400 inhabitants be turned into a microcosm? Andrea Heiberg has the answer in this collection of stories, all of which show human insight and understanding combined with humour and a natural gift of storytelling.’ —W. Glyn Jones, Emeritus Professor of Scandinavian Studies, University of East Anglia.

‘Next Stop Sejer Island is a must-have collection for the short story lover. Andrea Heiberg writes with great affection for her characters, and these island folks have stayed with me long after the reading. Do yourself a favour and buy this book!’ —Amy Harke-Moore