November 18 is the last day of Nils Vik’s life. And, for his final act, the elderly ferryman boards his boat and navigates the fjord, as he has done on so many other days. This time, though, he is joined by his dearly departed, yet still trusty, dog. As he travels the waters that he knows so well, Vik encounters a legion of passengers who, like his dog, have already died. As memories and revelations of his life rise to the surface, Vik awaits the one person with whom he wants to reunite, his late wife. 

The latest novel from Norwegian author Frode Grytten, The Ferryman and His Wife is also his first to be translated into English. In Norway, Den Dagen Nils Vik døde (English: The Day That Nils Vik Died, according to Wikipedia) was released two years ago and went on to win the country’s prestigious Brage Prize. The U.S. edition, translated by Alison McCullough, came out just last week and it’s a must-read.