In The Divorce we observe the breakdown of a marriage in forensic detail. Niklas and Bea have been together for 32 years. They have twin daughters and for all intents and purposes a good life. Sure, they have the normal irritations of a married couple, but as far as Bea is concerned, they are partners for life and can work things out.

But for Niklas, their marriage is over. And it has blindsided Bea as it appears to have come from nowhere.

When we get to part two, we gain an insight into how the cracks were formed for Niklas and I found it really interesting to observe just how much goes unsaid in relationships, until one of both partners reach breaking point.

I had empathy for both Bea and Niklas, but didn't particularly like either of them. So as much as I really liked the writing, I felt somewhat ambivalent about the characters. There was much to like in The Divorce and yet it left me somehow dissatisfied and disconnected.

A two sided account of how a decades-long marriage can fall apart. Not through one singular, dramatic moment but rather many instances of disconnection, isolation, misguided good intentions, and pent up resentment and stress. I enjoyed how the conflict between Bea and Niklas was portrayed: the moneymaker vs the homemaker and the heavy expectations that arise from both roles. Their actions and emotions throughout the book felt resoundingly authentic, and I liked that the reader’s sympathies sway with both character’s narratives.

Divorce is never good & this book shows both sides to the trauma, but I did fall on the side of Niklas. I'm sure other readers will see it differently. Good read & interesting story,

I thoroughly enjoyed this contrasting version of events regarding how a married couple were divorcing. The change in narrative and descriptions of their emotions and experiences was incredibly well done and it made me, as a reader, question where my sympathies lay.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I couldnt engage with this book fully, the story just didnt grip me, it was well written just not for me unfortunately

Thanks for allowing me to review this book

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

The clue is very much in the title when describing the story of The Divorce - it centres on a couple in middle age from a wealthy Swedish suburb with two teenage daughters who separate. Where it has overtones of the TV show The Affair and Lauren Groff's The Fates and The Furies is that the book is a split narrative between the two perspectives. It begins with Bea who is perhaps best described as the unwitting and unwilling partner in the separation and the novel is interesting in how it captures the schism within not only the marriage but also Bea's relationship with her husband's family. They grew up together and all at once she is adrift from the safety of his large, loving family and the matriarch within it. And then there's Niklas's turn to narrate events where he suffers - perhaps a little unimaginatively - from the typical problems of a mid-life crisis. I think this unoriginality is perhaps where the novel lost me a little as Niklas is always seen as a bit self-pitying and as if he has been coerced into this expensive middle class life when you never really have much of a sense that he rebelled against it. The novel is intimate and with the split narrative it feels almost as if you're in a therapist's office listening to the story of the breakdown of their marriage but ultimately nothing within it felt all that profound.

For some reason I couldn’t fully engage or empathise with any of the characters in this novel…which I feel terrible saying as it is very unlike me! I think perhaps I wasn’t in the right space to read this when I did. Herngren is undoubtedly talented and the translation is superb. Just not for me this time!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for this arc.

Ok, you got me. I began this book in full sympathy eith the female narrator however the author soon deftly showed me the other side of a familiar story. A tender, knowing novel

This is the story of Bea and Niklas who have been married for 30 years. At first as their marriage breaks down I had sympathy for Bea but this changed as the book continued. A really good recommended read.

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Review for 'The Divorce' by Moa Herngren

This may be the first book I have read by this author but I am looking forward to reading her next one!!

Well done and Thank You to Moa Herngren for a hugely successful and poignant read!! This book is very smoothly written with vivid descriptions which really help you see what's going on around you as well as the storyline. The blurb and the cover compliment the novel perfectly.

This book is a compelling and poignant read which tells the story of a family that is broken by the parents divorcing and how that divorce has a ripple affect on not only the parents and twin daughters but also how its consequences ripple into the outer family and friends too. Moa has done an absolutely fantastic job of weaving a devastating and dramatic family topic into an unputdownable literary page turner. Instead of wasting your time reading this just grab your copy and get lost in this touching and compelling storyline now. I can promise you won't regret it!! Moa's amazing and evocative writing skills really has brought everything to life all throughout this fantastic book dropping you straight into Bea and Niklas's lives along with the lives of their twin 15-16 year old (the book is told over a year from June 2016 to July 2017) daughters Alexia and Almas's lives. Although it is mainly told from Bea and Niklas's perspectives Moa ensures the reader gets the emotions felt from Alexia and Alma as well as Maria and Niklas's family Henke, Sus, Hampus, Lillis, Tore and Bea's friends Calle, Charlotte and Inger. Moa takes us not only through multiple timelines but from Stockholm to Gotland and back again and using her fantastic evocative and emotive descriptions ensures we see the stunning scenery in Gotland, hear the bustling traffic in Stockholm as well as feel the anger, sadness, fear, disappointment, joy, pain, love and absolutely everything that each of the characters are seeing and feeling from the beginning of their journey to the very end. The storyline is ram packed with drama, romance, heartache, family, betrayal, friendship, stress, deceit, heartbreak, love, laughter, finding yourself, nature, hiking and absolutely everything you could ask for in an unputdownable must read!! It genuinely felt like I was with Bea and Niklas throughout the book and any time I was distracted from the book it took me a few moments to actually work out where I was as I was so absorbed in the storyline. It is one of those poignant and compelling books that the only way to read it is in one sitting so clear your schedules before you get started as you wont be able to put it down!! I know I certainly couldn't as anytime I told myself I would just read one more chapter it ended in a way that I just had to read one more, and so on and so on until before I knew it I had sadly come to the end of the book and had to say Goodbye to the characters and surroundings. Moa does an absolutely fantastic job of weaving the characters from both Bea and Niklas's perspectives together perfectly in a way that ensures we get to see how each of them are feeling and what they are thinking throughout. My heart completely went out to Bea after the way she was betrayed and I really felt for her throughout. However, there were times that her actions did frustrate me. I did feel slightly sorry for Niklas to begin with for some of the things Bea did or how she acted but there was no excuse for what he did. However, my heart did go out to him on many occasions when he was having a stressful day at work as a doctor of all things and then to come home to his wife who was very ungrateful and uncaring at times. I adored his family right up until the very end but the way that many of them acted annoyed me. the only ones who were completely innocent in all of this really was Bea and Niklas's daughter's Alma and Alexia who were stuck in the middle of their parent's divorce and following actions and consequences. This book really does go to show the butterfly and ripple effects of parental actions on many family members. I don't want to say too much about the storyline as I do not want to risk giving anything away and spoiling it for future readers so I need to be careful how much I write about it. I will say that if you are looking for an easy and relaxing read then this may not be the book for you just yet as it is quite intense at times and it does delve into very real life problems from the stress of work, family conflict, tensions, stress, financial problems, illness , career issues, affairs and more. The one thing that I really did love about this book though is Moa's fantastic ability to completely engage the reader into the storyline and by the end ensure they come to the realisation that there really is two sides to every story. It really is a very realistic, poignant and thought provoking family drama that covers very real life situations that happen every day all over the world.
The fact that the storyline was realistic is always something I prefer as it makes it more enjoyable to read when you can see that it is something that could happen, even when what could realistically happen is not the nicest of things. This book is extremely well constructed and was absolutely ram packed with so much going on that you will just fly through the pages!!! It is multi layered with all the characters backgrounds and personalities coming out and each and every character has their own personalities. It was a very compelling and addictive read!!!

Clear your schedules and get ready to get completely sucked into a compelling, realistic and emotional page turner

Congratulations Moa on an absolutely fantastic and thought provoking book and I am looking forward to reading more of your future books.

Overall an absolutely compelling, dramatic and realistic page turner filled with family, heartache and emotions.


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I loved this book - which I realise sounds a bit odd given that the story centres around divorce, one of the most stressful life events you can experience but sometimes the best writing comes from the most difficult topics. The reason why I loved it is that it totally absorbed me, I felt like I was in the story and I so desperately wanted to offer counsel to both sides. For me to be so invested I must credit the translation by Alice Menzies, which was excellent, nothing felt ‘lost’ as they say.

The story is reminiscent of The Break by Marian Keyes and Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser - Akner but the difference here, is Moa Herngren offers both sides of the story. We hear from Bea and Niklas, the effect of which really tests your loyalties. I was initially outraged on behalf of Bea by Niklas’s behaviour but when I heard his version of events it allowed me to witness the situation from a new perspective and proves that not everything is black and white when it comes to affairs of the heart.

My heart broke for Bea and I worried for her but at some points I found myself frustrated by her. I wanted her to have a friend who would sit her down and give her sage advice but realised that ultimately she has to navigate her own way through if she is going to have a future on her own.

This books opens up the topic of marriage and divorce and reveals its complexities and the wider effects. It’s a book which raises many questions which you will still be thinking about once you’ve finished it. For that reason it would definitely make a great book club pick.

One of my highlights this month - I can’t recommend it enough!

'The Divorce' is a beautifully sculpted but deeply sad story. We know what's going to happen - its all in the title of the book. Its a tale packed full of the perils of assumptions, not listening to one another, and how damaging that can be to any relationship. The book's cover perfectly mirrors the story, a family completely split down the middle, with Bea's version on one side and Niklas's on the other.

Bea and Niklas have been together since they were teenagers. 32 years later, they live a very comfortable and enviable life in Stockholm. They have wonderful 16 year old twin daughters, they live in a beautiful apartment in a great neighbourhood, spending the long summers with Niklas's extended family in their island home. Bea really values the time spent with Niklas' family every year; they have been more like a family to her than her own and she carefully guards the time spent together.

Niklas has recently been promoted to a more senior role in a new hospital; it is more stressful but has much better benefits and it means that the family have been able to afford the much sought after bespoke kitchen renovation that Bea has been dreaming of. Bea also works and keeps the household ticking over, arranging their day to day lives, managing lift shares for their daughters, planning the kitchen upgrade - as in any family, there's always lots to do. Bea has asked Niklas to book the ferry to the summer island for their usual holiday. When she realises that he's forgotten to do so, she's irate, reflecting that she does everything and all he had to do was book a ferry crossing.

The first swathe of the story is told from Bea's point of view. We learn a lot about what is important to her, how she has supported Nicklas in following his dreams of promotion at the expense of her own career, how she feels more nurtured by his family than her own. When he neglects to book the ferry crossing, Bea feels totally unsupported and unheard herself; she knows that Niklas knows how much she relies on this precious family time. Niklas heads out that evening, and messages Bea in the morning to say that he's not coming home and needs some time to think. This comes completely out of the blue for Bea, who has supported him unquestioningly for over 30 years and believes they have a strong marriage with lots of years ahead of them. The days pass, and the first section ends with Nicklas taking Bea and his daughters to catch the ferry without him.

The story then shifts to Niklas's perspective which unsurprisingly is quite different from Bea. He is approaching burn-out, the stress from his new job is unbelievable, as he has been given three jobs to do not just one but when he tries to talk about it, Bea pushes his concerns away telling him that its all for the best. He doesn't want to spend every summer with his family either, he would love to explore the world with them but again he feels that Bea isn't listening to him. His body is aching, his debts are piling up, his wife and children demand more from him than he can give and his job is relentless. He feels that he is suffocating but can't change anything because of all the demands on him.

As the book moves on, the chapters alternate between the pair, and we see the steady decline of their relationship and the effect on their family and friends. The story is both very personal and universal; good communication is always cited as one of the fundamentals of a happy marriage. When you see the breakdown of communication spelt out in this way, its impossible to pick sides - both of them share culpability but both blame the other.

The Divorce by Moa Herngren is a cinematic family drama translated from Swedish, that would make a perfect book club summer read.

Published earlier this month, The Divorce is a story centred on Swedish couple Bea and Niklas who have been together for more than thirty years. When their marriage begins to unravel over the course of one hot Stockholm summer, we get the perspective of both Bea and Niklas, as they contemplate a new life without the other.

I found this an utterly compelling and heartbreaking read, and loved that there was nuance and subtlety in the couple's behaviours, and how the disintegration of the marriage affected the wider family. I think this could be very triggering for anyone who has through the breakdown of a marriage or serious relationship, and I cried my eyes out reading it. Having said that, there is something life-affirming about it too and a little chink of light gets in despite the sadness.

I would highly recommend this to readers who love a well-written family drama. It's one that women in mid-life will enjoy, and I can imagine some very interesting book club discussions arising from it. Loved it. 5/5 stars

Many thanks to Bonnier Books and Manilla Press for the arc via Netgalley. The Divorce is out now.

There are two sides to every story…

This is one of those books that needs to be discussed. A perfect book club choice or book you can foist onto a friend because you will want to discuss it. As the cover suggests this is a marriage and a book that splits into two - one of life’s seismic fault lines that has a very definite before and after. Niklas and Bea have been married for over thirty years with two teenage daughters Alexia and Alma. They have what most people would consider the perfect life. They live in a beautiful and sought after area of Stockholm in an apartment that Bea has spent so much time perfecting. They are currently remodelling the kitchen, but it’s bespoke and at huge cost. Niklas is a doctor and has recently taking a job heading up a maternity department. Historically, Bea stayed home with the girls and more recently took a job with the Red Cross. It doesn’t pay a lot but with Niklas’s new wage they don’t need to worry about it. As we meet the family they are preparing to take their annual summer holiday to Holgreps and the home of Niklas’s parents. They go every year at the same time as his brother Henke because this is the only time the cousins get to be together. Niklas has forgotten to book the ferry tickets and Bea is furious. This means spending an extra week in the sweltering heat of the city with no outside space or a long drive to a different ferry crossing. He only has to do one thing, she does everything else and he’s so wrapped up in his new job he can’t do it.

Bea narrates the first part of the book and we get the sense she feels badly done too. Niklas wouldn’t be where he is without her and she has made sure he lives up to his potential. She talked him into accepting the new job because left to his own devices he would still be pottering along in his paediatrician role at the small local hospital. It’s the same with the apartment, he couldn’t see the problem with the existing kitchen. He’d have made do with it for years, never thinking about what the room could be. Bea looks forward to Hogreps every year, she never really had much of a family herself especially after her brother Jacob died. In the aftermath Niklas had taken her to stay with his parents and on her first mornings there, his mother Lillias took Bea wild swimming. She credits those mornings with saving her sanity, more effective than counselling. Niklas had been Jacob’s friend so they shared their grief and it brought them together. Bea has always thought that anything they do together becomes fun, even if it’s taking items to the recycling tip. So it comes as a huge surprise to her when Niklas sends her a text message to say he isn’t coming home. There’s no further explanation and she doesn’t know if he means he isn’t coming home that afternoon, till tomorrow or at all. Bea’s texts and voicemails are ignored so she tells him that their daughter was expecting him to take her out in the car and she’s upset. She’s still ignored and infuriatingly, when she checks in with their daughter Alma says it’s okay. Her dad has called her and said he’ll take her another time. As one night seems to be extending, Bea is beside herself. Niklas says he wants space, but what from and how long for? Where is he staying? She’s going through that strange feeling that the person you shared space with; the person you could touch whenever you wanted; the person who you spoke to several times a day, is now off limits. It was clear to me that the balance of power had shifted in this relationship but I couldn’t understand why.

Halfway through the novel, as Bea sets off with her girls to Hogreps and their stay with the in-laws, Niklas takes over the narration. I’d got used to my narrator at this point and I was feeling some empathy with Bea who is clearly distraught. Yet now I started to hear her husband’s story and his inner world: the pressure he’s under at work; the diagnosis he feels he should have made that changed someone’s outcome; the responsibility of financially supporting his family and keeping up with Bea’s remodelling ambitions. He’s on the proverbial hamster wheel and feels totally trapped. The author puts across his tension and despair so beautifully and I could feel the panic in his mind. I started to feel that Bea’s needs were seen as more important than his, not just in the marriage but with his family too. This is a problem rooted in the way they became a couple, both were grieving for Bea’s brother Jacob but she had the claim of being his sister. He took her to his family as this lonely, wounded little bird and they all took her under their wing. Niklas was effectively pushed to one side, not only negating his grief for his best friend but piling on the pressure. He now feels held to account, forced to swallow his own needs and look after Bea at all costs. It isn’t until he ends up talking to one of their neighbours at a party that he even realises he has a choice. The sense of freedom he gets from someone listening to him is exhilarating. Everyone assumes he’s having a midlife crisis, but is he? As he and Bea go to couple’s therapy can they save their marriage?

I loved how the author shows us the difference in communication styles between these two characters. Bea is performative and you are never in doubt about how she’s feeling. He anger and distress leap out immediately, even all the way back to the beginning and Jacob’s death. Niklas seems shell-shocked by Jacob’s death and he internalises all of the feelings he has to look after Bea. However, it starts to become clear there are bigger things hidden deep inside this couple than tears. Grief is complicated and Niklas’s feelings have been discounted from the beginning, by his parents Lillis and Tores, by Bea and by himself. He hasn’t allowed himself to process what happened and this becomes his coping style. So, when he finally does start to express his feelings they come as a surprise to Bea and to him. He can’t blame her for not knowing how he’s felt, because he’s never tried to tell her. Or is it more that there’s never been room for anything but Bea’s feelings. As we go back and forth, especially section three which passes between the two of them, secrets come to surface that I really didn’t expect. It’s also interesting to see how the people around the couple adjust and cope with what’s going on, brought into sharp focus by the illness of Tores. I felt so much for Bea because she has a lot of catching up to do, it’s as if the world has moved on without out her suddenly. Then in Niklas’s sections of the story I could feel how free he is, exploring his likes and dislikes, changing long held traditions and doing things he never expected like having a tattoo. They might look like mistakes from the outside, but it’s his exploration and he’s finally finding his authentic self. This novel is so beautifully written and exquisitely structured to have impact on the reader. Reading this felt like a counselling session and I mean that in the best way possible. We delve deeply into these two characters and their shared history, looking for clues and patterns of behaviour till we can understand why they’ve reached this crisis point. The question of whether they can come together again and be a family I will leave you to find out.

This was a great scandi thriller style book that was so easy to read. Both sides of the story are well thought out.

I really enjoyed reading this book It portrayed a marriage from both the wifes side first then the husbands It wasnt so much as he said she said but rather a progressive story line I found my sympathies changing throughout A highly recommended read

The Divorce by Moa Herngren

Bea and Niklas have been together for 32 years and appear to live a very comfortable and mostly happy life in Stockholm with their teenage daughters and fulfilling careers. But all is not what it seems and Bea is completely shocked when Niklas leaves her and asks for a divorce.

Wow, this book is BRILLIANT! One of my favourites of the year so far, I absolutely loved it. So cleverly done to see events from both Bea and Niklas's point of view. Brilliant writing, brilliant characters, brilliant story! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but it delivered a whole heap of feelings and reflect upon a bunch of different things. Although the plot was relatively straight forward, the characters complex and deeply developed. The story was essentially about a marriage that broke and the effect on everyone involved. The beauty and heart ache in the book was all focused on the characters and their paths through the divorce.

I feel that these characters will drive out dividing opinions in readers; team Bea or team Niklas. Before I'd even read Niklas' perspective, I was firmly on his team. The guy spent years living for other people, prioritising other people and putting his own feelings and desires on the sideline. It was no wonder that he eventually broke. Bea had become so used to being the number one priority and things going her way, that she couldn't see past her own feelings to consider anyone else's. Although I was able to sympathise with her pain, I found her to be really quite selfish.

This was quite a quick read but it as packed full of emotion and I raced through every page. It was a story without flamboyancy but focused more on real life and human emotions and behaviours. A fantastic book that I highly recommend.

Read if you like books about people and their relationships with each other. I do and enjoyed this read. It’s not thrilling or flashy, it’s real and fascinating.