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The Strawberry Girl by Lisa Stromme (first published in 2016 by Chatto & Windus, an imprint of Penguin Random House)
Johanne is the Strawberry Girl. Painted as a child by a famous artist, she will forever be seen as the young girl in the painting, holding a bowl of strawberries. A child of nature, Johanne makes her living picking and selling fruit.
That is, until her mother decides that she needs a proper job, and gets her work as a house maid for a wealthy visiting family. Here, Johanne meets Tullik, an altogether different sort of creature; a girl of fire. Flaming red hair and sparking personality, Tullik soon becomes not just Johanne’s employer, but her friend.
Meanwhile, there are other summer guests about, including the artist renting Johanne’s own home. In addition, there is the presence of Edvard Munch, much critiqued and avoided for his sinful art. Yet despite the taboo surrounding him, the artist in Johanne is drawn to Munch, as is the lover in Tullik.
While the couple begin a fiery relationship, Johanne serves as secret keeper, until their passion threatens to burn more than just their loins.
The Strawberry Girl is truly beautiful and unique – it borders the line between telling and showing, with a narrative that is illustrated through colours, painting the rise and fall of love. Tullik morphs from light to dark, as her passion becomes consuming, morphing the red-headed beauty into a black hole.
Apart from its pseudo-visual beauty, The Strawberry Girl is an enticing story – perhaps because it is rooted in fact, the fiction which flowers from the tale is that much more beautiful.
The artist we know as Munch is personified and given humanity – although it is not always visible – while the love affairs and relationships he forged are given substance and fattened to the point of bursting.
The Strawberry Girl is nothing short of vibrant and enticing – it is the fruit which beckons, and I highly recommend you have a taste.
Click here to purchase a copy of The Strawberry Girl
