Seven Days in September

Shortlisted for the P2 Listeners' Novel Prize

Seven Days in September takes place during World War II. Three separate story lines cross each other at the end of a deep fjord in western Finnmark. A German aircrew takes off from France to join the attack on the Russian convoy PQ 18 in Finnmark. We become acquainted with the members of the crew, their personalities, desires and hopes for the future. The second story is about the local fisherman Gustav Henriksen, a war hero from the battle of Narvik, about his family, his work and the society he lives in. The third person to stumble into the novel is Kristian Kolseth, a young ethnography student from Oslo’s wealthier quarters, who has travelled north in order to document building customs among the coast Sami in Finnmark.

The novel is packed with suspense, and the outcome is uncertain all the way to the final page. Characters and environments are drawn with great realism. This is a powerful story about how the war affected people’s daily lives, their work and their social relations, set in a corner of WW II that has received little attention in Norwegian histories of the war.

"Gunnerud strikes gold ... Gunnerud switches effortlessly between the three storylines, all the time showing a unique ability to create atmosphere and credibility"****** (6/6 stars)VG

"With this novel, Gunnerud shows that he is a storyteller of stature"Dagsavisen

"First and foremost we meet the population in the deserted, inhospitable place, the fjord people, the sea Sami, those who live by the deserted fjords of Finnmark. Here, the story is full of crass antagonism between the classes, and descriptions of the relationship between the occupants and the occupied ... an outstanding depiction of the state of things during a time of war and misery in the northernmost part of the country"Kulturspeilet

"Gunnerud's portrait of people's life and his sober realism is convincing. And you also accept the book's surprising ending, which isn't quite without 'murder and mysteries' after all"Bergens Tidende

"Well-written thriller drama about young men in war ... Gunnerud is in no hurry, but he keeps the intensity of the story high. He is especially good at creating a disturbing atmosphere, with the raw fog, the cigarettes that are constantly lit, and the Germans' unpredictable behaviour towards the locals ... a thriller drama which works perfectly on its own premises"Dagbladet

"Incredibly well written ... very suspenseful, and warmly recommended"Nordlys