When the Night Comes: A Novel
Favel Parrett
Language: English
Pages: 256
ISBN: 1476796742
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Longlisted for the prestigious Miles Franklin Award, this “moving account of the depth of ordinary lives” (Library Journal, starred review) tells the story of a young Tasmanian girl and a Danish sailor and the brief encounter that leaves a lasting impact on both.
Isla is a lonely girl who moves to Hobart with her mother and brother to try to better their lives. It’s not really working until they meet Bo, a crewman on an Antarctic supply ship, the Nella Dan, who shares stories about his adventures with them—his travels, bird watching, his home in Denmark, and life on board the ship. Isla is struggling to learn what truly matters and who to trust, while this modern Viking is searching to understand his past and to find a place in this world for himself. Though their time together is short, it is enough to change the course of both their lives.
Praised for writing that is “vivid and distinct” (Library Journal, starred review) and “exquisite in its simplicity and eloquence” (Kirkus Reviews), Favel Parrett delivers a stunningly beautiful novel—“spare but memorable” (Booklist)—about the remarkable and unexpected bond forged between strangers.
ice. She just keeps on moving. I run down the stairs, take Soren’s wrist in my hand. It’s warm, his skin still warm, but I can find no pulse. His eyes are open. They stare at the wall. I hear shouting, footsteps on the metal stairs. I see faces, serious faces. I am pulled up and out of the way. I lean against the coolroom doors. There is blood on my shoe, blood on my trousers. I must have been kneeling in it. There on the floor, a pool of blood. The captain is opposite me. We are sitting in
place. It was too soon. “I just have this good feeling,” I said, but he wasn’t really listening. He was staring at the black shiny stereo that had this new sound inside of it. We carried it out of the shop and all the way down to the wharf. He told me I could have his old stereo. “It’s better than your piece of shit,” he said. I told him to give his to Erik and Jonas. They didn’t have anything in their cabin. Anyway, I liked my old tape player. It never chewed up my tapes and it was good
too. “Kit Kats are the best,” she said and I nodded. I had never had one before. It tasted good. The milky chocolate and the wafers and the lightness in my mouth. Charly finished her two fingers and rolled the foil up in a ball. “Don’t you just get sick of it?” she said. I didn’t answer. I wasn’t really sure what she meant. “I just get sick of it. I’ve got to get out of French. I’m thinking of failing the exam on purpose and then they might let me do typing instead.” “Typing is good,” I
song. An organ, in rhythm. A chord. “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Mum cheered. It was her favorite, the soundtrack to a movie called The Big Chill. It looked like a really stupid movie, but the music was okay. My brother and I had to listen to the album for years and years until we knew every song off by heart. My brother really liked the one about a bullfrog called Jeremiah. “Joy to the World.” Christmas Eve. There were biscuits and cakes and puddings on the counter in the kitchen,
for Nella Dan—the little red ship. It is true she was beset for seven weeks but it was in the 1985/1986 season and not the 1986/1987 season, as I have fictionalized in this book. A young sailor, Kim Nielsen, died from head injuries on board Nella Dan on 20 October 1985. A very sad day for those on board and for his family. R.I.P. So many kind people have told me their stories and I have held them carefully in my heart. To all who so generously shared, I hope I have done your ship justice. I