Posts Tagged ‘Norma’

Media Center: ‘Norma’ by Sofi Oksanen

August 29th, 2017

WHO: Sofi Oksanen

WHAT: NORMA, a novel

WHEN: Published by Knopf September 6, 2017

WHERE: The author lives in Helsinki

WHY: “Unusual and inventive.
“Oksanen’s third novel to be translated into English takes place in contemporary Finland, where thirtysomething Norma is grieving over the death of her mother, Anita, who committed suicide by jumping in front of a train.
“Anita was fiercely protective of her daughter, guarding the strange secret that Norma’s hair not only grows at an alarming rate but can also sense danger. After her mother’s funeral, Norma discovers that Anita was involved with the shady family of her best friend, Helena, who has long been confined to a mental institution. Helena’s ex-husband, Max Lambert, tells Norma that Anita owed him money and Helena’s daughter, Marion, who owned the salon where Anita worked, was plotting something with Anita before her death. As Norma tries to figure out what Lambert and Marion want from her, she starts to uncover family secrets about her ancestor Eva, who had hair with powers similar to Norma’s.
“Oksanen’s unusual and inventive novel uses hair as a metaphor for women’s power, deftly exploring the ways it can be harnessed or exploited.”
–Kristine Huntley, BOOKLIST

Author photo

Media Resources:
About the book and author | Author tour | Read an excerpt | Download the jacket | Download the author photo

Knopf. 306 pages. $26.95
Translated from the Finnish by Owen F. Witesman.
ISBN 978-0-451-49352-1



To interview the author, contact:
Jordan Rodman | 212-782-9714 | jrodman@penguinrandomhouse.com