When Lydia leaves Sweden behind for an exchange year across the Atlantic, she finds herself in a small and Christian – but godforsaken – rural community. The town has been deeply shaken by a tragedy that has left its mark on both the place and its inhabitants. Feeling lost, but keen to adapt to the local social codes, Lydia soon becomes caught up  in the region’s dark intrigues.

Parallel to this, Bonnie stands before a decisive year at the end of the 1990s. Following a difficult separation, her life revolves around the love for her rebellious teenage daughter, her job within assisted living and the fellowship of the church. When Bonnie encounters the free spirited Ronald she dares to dream of a life beyond her mundane routine. But in order to move on she first needs to confront that which has kept her confined since the day her husband disappeared.

Despite being separated by time and space, Lydia and Bonnie’s destinies become intertwined in this tale that explores life-changing love, social vulnerability and the pursuit for happiness.

A Little Death is Ebba Bandh’s unforgettable literary debut set amongst the boundless corn fields and deep forests of the American east coast.