The Longest Leap

A Norwegian historian in his mid-30s suffers from a rare muscular disease, which by all prognoses should have put him in a wheelchair years ago. One day his high school sweetheart Nina comes to visit him, and finds him lying on the floor, in a poor state. Despite his disability and initial reluctance, Nina persuades him to come travelling with her, to help prove her thesis that the British monk Bartholomew travelled from Norway to Constantinople in the early 13th Century. Thus, the young historians embark on a journey which turns out to pose far greater challenges – and rewards – than expected.

A free-standing sequel to The Weight of Snow Crystals, The Longest Leap is an unsentimental portrayal of a young man who defies his weaknesses to follow his passions in life. It is also a riveting historical tale, as well as a dramatic journey through Russia, Ukraine, The Black Sea and finally the Bosporus Strait and Istanbul.

Once again, Steen combines his vast historical knowledge with a moving personal narrative, neatly interwoven with current political topics.