Winner of the 2021 Dobloug Prize (Norway)
Longlisted for the Prix Femina 2021 (France)
Winner of the Norwegian Critics’ Prize for Literature
Shortlisted for the Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize

In a hotel, high up in a mountain village, two sisters aim to reconnect after distant years that contrast their close, almost twin-like upbringing. Martha has just been discharged from a sanatorium after a mental breakdown. Ella agrees to keep her company in the hope that the clean winter air will provide clarity—and a way back to their childhood connection.

It’s only when plans go awry, and Martha disappears in a rage, that Ella discovers a new sense of self outside her filial role. This identity is reinforced by various encounters: the hotel receptionist who takes her under her wing; the enigmatic love interest; the wistful, drunken Salvation Army soldier; the carpenter. And not least, Ella’s encounter with the writings of Stefan Zweig, which have a profound impact.

Mona Høvring’s award-winning novel Because Venus Crossed an Alpine on the Day that I Was Born is as sharp as it is sensitive; insightful as it is original when exploring the many distractions of the heart.