Embracing The Hygge Life
The Floating Copenhagen Café by Annabel French is the most delightful contemporary novel that will warm your heart and make you smile. I never wanted it to end.
As the title suggests, the novel is set in Copenhagen. It is a pretty city with a vibrant food scene, and a network of canals. All this comes to life under the author’s descriptive pen. It is easy to picture the colourful buildings, peaceful waterways and delicious food. A real wealth of treasure for the senses.
The leading character travels from Milton Keynes to Copenhagen on a sabbatical to help revive a café. The greyness of England contrasts with the colourful Denmark. A staid 9 to 5 job in England and a life lived in shades of grey, opens up to pure technicolour in Denmark.
The Danes are a relaxed nation as they believe in, and adopt, the hygge life. “It’s about finding happiness in the everyday things in life we take for granted, enjoying every precious moment and making ourselves happy, even in the tough times.” There is always something to be joyful about, we just need to look for it. Life is for living, not just existing.
We learn about the treasures of life. “Life isn’t about things and possessions. It’s about feelings and experiences.” It is people who are the most important.
Characters have been hurt in life and in love. The temptation is to hide away – but life and love are worth taking a chance on.
We need to take pleasures in the small things. “Life, as she knew, was about enjoying the sound of the canal outside her window, feeling the sun on her face.” Living a more relaxed life is beneficial to our health.
Good friends provide support. Good friends recognize when tough love is needed – like locking a pair in a cupboard and singing Taylor Swift badly, while they ‘talk it out!’ Grab the novel to see what I am talking about.
All the characters were well drawn and believable. The reader receives a warm welcome as the tale cocoons us in love.
I adored The Floating Copenhagen Café and cannot wait to read more by Annabel French.
JULIA WILSON