304 dagar
In March 2015, Afghanistan veteran Nicholas stands alone in the forest by his house ready to take his own life when he realises that he must tell his loved ones about his plan. He promises his mother to stay alive until Christmas, which is 304 days away.
Through its 304 parts, the novel tells us two stories: Nicholas goes to war, because he wants to make the world a better place, only to end up with his own life torn to pieces. Arman is three years old when the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. As a grown man, he joins the Taliban to defend his country against threats – including Norwegian soldiers.
304 dagar (304 days) is a novel about war and friendship, love and family. It depicts how our lives are interwoven in a story going back thousands of years. First and foremost, however, the novel revolves around the fight to recover from post-war trauma and the struggle to survive in the peace.