Ferryman and His Wife by Alison McCullough

‘A beautiful, warm and touching story about what makes life worth living’ Brage Prize Jury
How would you spend your last day? And whom would you spend it with?

Ferryman Nils Vik chooses to head out onto the fjord, as he has for many years. Today, the 18th of November, his trip is different. As his trusty boat reaches the sea, a lifetime of passengers join him from beyond the grave, among them his rescue dog, the American photographer he thought of as his friend and young Jon Anderson, whose funeral Nils attended. But Nils is truly waiting for just one passenger: his beloved wife Marta, whose absence has marked each day since her passing. Approaching the end of his journey, his expectation grows – will he be reunited with her too?

Timeless and heartbreaking, The Ferryman and His Wife is a contemplative celebration of life, for readers of Fredrik Backman, Elizabeth Strout and Sarah Winman. Translated by Alison McCullough

A powerfully moving novel of love, loss and a life well-lived for fans of healing Scandi fiction in the vein of Fredrik Backman and Per Petterson.

About the Author: Frode Grytten is a Norwegian writer and journalist. He is the author of the Brage Prize-winning novels Beehive Song and The Day Nils Vik Died (translated into the English as The Ferryman and his Wife), as well as several short story collections and two children’s books.Alison McCullough is a Norwegian-to-English translator and writer. Her recent translations include The Widow by Helene Flood, Reptile Memoirs by Silje Ulstein and Lean Your Loneliness Slowly Against Mine by Klara Hveberg, which was longlisted for the PEN Translation Prize 2022. She lives in Stavanger, Norway.

13 Nov 2025
 

The Ferryman and His Wife by Alison McCullough ISBN 9781805223429