Brightly Shining

By: Ingvild Rishøi, Caroline Waight

Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky

Beautifully told with humor and tenderness, a Norwegian Christmas tale of sisterhood, financial hardship, and far-off dreams, acclaimed by reviewers and beloved by readers across Europe, where it has been a major bestseller.

Christmas is just around the corner, and Ronja and Melissa’s dreamer of a father is out of work again. When ten-year-old Ronja hears about a job at a Christmas tree stand near where the family lives in central Oslo, she thinks it might be the stroke of luck they all need. Soon, the fridge fills with food, and their father returns home with money in his pocket and a smile on his face. But one evening he disappears into the night under the pretense of buying Christmas gifts—and the daughters know he has gone to his favorite local pub, Stargate, and they come to terms with the fact that he may lose his wonderful new job.

Melissa decides to take his place at the Christmas tree stand, working before and after school in the December afternoon dark, and brings along Ronja, who quickly charms all the middle-class customers. On rare breaks the sisters dream of a brighter place of kindness and plenty, and find help from some of those around them—but both understand that their family structure is a precarious one, and that they are going to need luck and strength to transcend their circumstances.

Skillfully told, evoking the delight, misunderstandings, and innocence of a child’s voice, Brightly Shining is small in stature but with an outsize impact on the listener, and has all the markings of a magical modern classic.

Critic reviews

"Jesse Vilinsky is exceptional at sounding like a kid who is excited about Christmas and sees the best in everyone. Ronja, age 10, is growing up in Oslo with her older sister, Melissa, and an alcoholic father. Ronja’s dad gets a job selling Christmas trees but quickly loses it to the call of the pub. When Melissa takes over his job, Ronja uses her waif-like appearance to sell decorations to benefit “children in need.” Vilinsky embodies Ronja’s hope and gratitude at the kindness of others. Ronja’s neighbor feeds her extra breakfasts, irons her costume for her school play, and shows up for her performance. But this is no happy Christmas story, and as circumstances overwhelm the girls, Vilinsky ensures that their despair becomes clearly apparent."

Scandinavian Noir Christmas

Loosely based on The Little Match Girl, this Scandinavian noir Christmas novella is quiet and thoughtful and somewhat bleak. Don't grab it if you want Christmas cheer, because you'll be disappointed. What this is, is poignant, heartbreaking, and enigmatic.

The narrator was very good. Thanks for making an effort to get the Norwegian pronunciations correct!

This book is not for everyone, but I loved it. If you are a person that loves the story of The Little Match Girl- this is a wonderful updated version. Without spoilers, just know this is not a traditional happy Christmas story.

Nothing Bright nor Shiny

I understand this very well-written and performed story is akin to the Little Match Girl tale by HCA.
This alone should have waved me off during this Holiday season.
Well written.
Well performed.
Just not enjoyable.

Not uplifting

I found the storyline depressing. It was also hard to follow between reality and possibly feverish confusions(?). Narration was done well.

Unforgivingly depressing

While the title dangles hope like a carrot before the donkey, it’s the only bit of hope in an otherwise bleak world. Norway does have harsh winter weather which would make the best of circumstances difficult. The author does a good job painting the portrait of the suffering of her characters but IT IS the Christmas season and a time for hope and miracles which were completely absent in this story. While I understand suffering and pain is a part of life, it does not make an enjoyable reading experience in my opinion.