Norma

July 31, 2017
At the center of Oksanen’s ambitious contemporary fantasy novel is the strange hair of a woman named Norma. It grows peculiarly quickly and sometimes uncontrollably, moves in ways that reflect Norma’s emotions, and grants her far-ranging abilities to detect other people’s physical and mental states. Norma’s mother, Anita, spent her life guarding Norma from the world; the two of them have apartments in the same building in Helsinki and are each other’s sole confidants. When Anita dies in an apparent suicide, Norma needs to understand her death and begins investigating it even as she is suddenly overwhelmed by the weight of everything her mother kept away from her. Oksanen (When the Doves Disappeared) creates intricate characters and imagery, and the hair plays well as a multifaceted metaphor for various forms of the patriarchal exploitation of female bodies. However, the characters are insufficiently three-dimensional for the conceit to read as more than a metaphor, albeit a well-chosen one.

Like a modern-day Rapunzel, Norma's hair has magical properties. In this Finnish tale, Norma also gains special powers through her magic hair: She can read other people's emotions through her hair's reaction. Narrator Fiona Hardingham is an excellent choice for this complicated twist on a familiar story. She uses a steady, capable delivery to connect the listener to the winding storyline, which includes an international crime syndicate and long list of characters. Hardingham gives this feminist story a strong undertone through her crisp pronunciation and consistent cadence. Did Norma's mother kill herself? How many people know about her secret power? These are some of the questions that will keep listeners engaged until the dramatic ending. M.R. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine