Astrid the Unstoppable
"Classic storytelling at its best, delightful and moving. I loved it." M. G. Leonard, author of Beetle Boy
Maria Parr's second novel is a hilarious and heart-warming story about family and friendship that will delight fans of Pippi Longstocking.
Astrid Glimmerdal loves to spend her days racing down the mountainside on her sledge and skis – the faster the better! She just wishes there were other children to share in her adventures. Instead, she has to put up with a grumpy 74 year old for a best friend (although secretly, she knows she wouldn't have it any other way).
Astrid's world is about to be turned upside down, however, first by the arrival of a strange family, and then a mystery woman. Her best friend, Gunnvald, has been keeping a secret from her – one that will test their friendship to its limits. Everything is changing in Astrid's world and she's not happy about it. Luckily, she has a plan...
A feisty and irrepressible heroine, Astrid is sure to charm readers in this modern classic in the making.
Maria Parr is an outstanding Norwegian author who has been compared to Astrid Lindgren. Her first book, Waffle Hearts, won France's Prix Sorcières and the Dutch Zilveren Griffel, and was shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation. Waffle Hearts has been translated into 26 different languages, was made into a popular children's television series, and has been performed on stage. Astrid the Unstoppable is Maria's second novel, and won the prestigious Brage Prize for best children's book and the Norwegian Critics' Prize. It has been sold to 19 countries and made into a theatre production. Maria lives in Norway.
Guy Puzey grew up in the Highlands of Scotland, just a short swim away from Norway. He began translating Norwegian literature in 2006, having studied the language at the University of Edinburgh. In 2011 he went on to complete a doctorate on Italian and Norwegian language policy. He works at the University, and has taught a number of courses including Scandinavian linguistic history, children’s literature and literary translation. In 2015 he was shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation for his work on Maria Parr's first novel, Waffle Hearts.