The Turtle Island

Here is how it all began in 2003. My daughter was only eight years old when the teacher asked her to write a legend, and she didn’t know where to start or what she should write – how to create the story. So she needed a helping hand, and I was eager to assist her.

At that time, I worked as a designer in a production company. There we often used the brainstorming method when we developed new ideas. But now the answer was so obvious to me.

“Turtle Island”, I suggested, and she wholeheartedly agreed with me.

Earlier that summer we had a strange incident at our cabin, while the whole family gathered outdoor. The sun shone through openings in the clouds, but it did not rain where we stood. Suddenly our eyes were drawn to the heavens around the nearby peninsula, named Turtle Island because it looks like a turtle.

At a long distance, two rainbows arose over the lake. Then a third rainbow came, much closer, only thirty meters away. It was rising from the head of the turtle, and the children and I run towards it as fast as we could. When we arrived, the rainbow was just three meters away from us, not more. Whereas for my wife, who stood back at the cabin, it looked like we were in the middle of it. It was so awesome, even though rainbows are natural – it still was a once in a lifetime experience.

With this event fresh in our memory, we wrote The legend of Turtle Island, which her teacher and fellow students liked very much. It was encouraging, of course, and I wanted to write more. And more there was – much more! Lots of trial and error. Year after year! It took me twelve years of hard work before I was able to publish a novel that I am still happy with today.

In 2015 «The White Lady» became a bestseller in Halden.