One Last Time

Anne's diagnosis of terminal cancer shines a spotlight onto fractured relationships with her daughter and granddaughter, with surprising, heartwarming results. A moving, elegant and warmly funny novel by the Norwegian Anne Tyler.
'Helga Flatland writes with such astuteness ... Her portrayal of a fractured family trying to cope through emotional personal circumstances was perfect. I devoured this in two sittings and was overwhelmed with feelings for the characters' Nina Pottell, Prima
'Sometimes you simply don't have words to express the beauty and experience of a book - this is one of them' Louise Beech
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Anne's life is rushing to an unexpected and untimely end. But her diagnosis of terminal cancer isn't just a shock for her - and for her daughter Sigrid and granddaughter Mia - it shines a spotlight onto their fractured and uncomfortable relationships.
On a spur-of-the moment trip to France the three generations of women reveal harboured secrets, long-held frustrations and suppressed desires, and learn humbling and heart-warming lessons about how life should be lived when death is so close.
With all of Helga Flatland's trademark humour, razor-sharp wit and deep empathy, One Last Time examines the great dramas that can be found in ordinary lives, asks the questions that matter to us all - and ultimately celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, in an exquisite, enchantingly beautiful novel that urges us to treasure and rethink ... everything.
For fans of Elena Ferrante, Maggie O'Farrell, Mike Gayle, Joanna Cannon, Sally Rooney and Carol Shields.
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'The most beautiful, elegant writing I've read in a long time. If you love Anne Tyler, you will ADORE this' Joanna Cannon
'Flatland is hailed as "the Norwegian Anne Tyler", but, for me, she writes like Flatland, which is more than good enough' Saga
'A poignant and beautifully written story ... intimate, evocative and moving' Kristin Gleeson
'Helga Flatland possesses a pen made from fluent wisdom, subtle humour and elegance' Carol Lovekin
'Absolutely loved its quiet, insightful generosity' Claire King
'So perceptive and clever' Rónán Hession
'A thoughtful and reflective novel about parents, siblings and the complex - and often challenging - ties that bind them' Hannah Beckerman, Observer
'This is a super exploration of families that I'd urge you to read for the subtle prose, with well defined characters and a strong storyline' Sheila O'Reilly
'Love the sophistication, directness and tenderness of this book' Claire Dyer
'The most clear-eyed, honest, yet sympathetic examination of relationships that I have ever read' Sara Taylor
'The author has been dubbed the Norwegian Anne Tyler and for good reason ... If you love books about dysfunctional families, you'll love this' Good Housekeeping
'In quiet prose, Helga Flatland writes with elegance and subtle humour to produce a shrewd and insightful examination of the psychology of family and of loss' Daily Express

Helga Flatland is already one of Norway's most awarded and widely read authors. Born in Telemark, Norway, in 1984, she made her literary debut in 2010 with the novel Stay If You Can, Leave If You Must, for which she was awarded the Tarjei Vesaas' First Book Prize. She has written four novels and a children's book and has won several other literary awards. Her fifth novel, A Modern Family (her first English translation), was published to wide acclaim in Norway in August 2017, and was a number-one bestseller. The rights have subsequently been sold across Europe and the novel has sold more than 100,000 copies. One Last Time was published in 2020 and is currently topping bestseller lists in Norway