Per Petterson was born in Oslo in 1952 and worked for several years as an unskilled labourer, a bookseller, a writer and a translator. He made his literary breakthrough in 2003 with the prizewinning novel Out Stealing Horses, which has been published in forty-nine languages so far and won many prizes. Ashes in My Mouth, Sand in My Shoes is the sixth of his widely acclaimed works to be published in English.
What makes Petterson's storytelling so mesmerising is his measured, gentle restraint * Scotland on Sunday * Written with humour and great clarity, it's a short but strikingly memorable read * A Life in Books * A small book that packs a punch -- Michael North * Independent on Sunday * Shot through with a tender, nostalgic quality -- David Evans * Financial Times * This debut outing (from 1987) by the Norwegian novelist tells a tale of childhood c.1960 with tender, bittersweet poignancy -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *