Set during the initial days of the recent pandemic, Kristófer, a seventy-five-year-old widower living in Iceland closes his restaurant and goes off in search of his first love, Miko, a Japanese-British woman he has not seen in fifty years. The narrative follows his journey to London and Hiroshima, mentioning the travel restrictions, masks, and new pandemic-related customs (remember putting stuffed animals in the windows for the children walking by?) As the story progresses, the reader becomes aware that Kristófer may not be the most reliable narrator, not due to deception but to difficulties in recalling the past. His doctor believes he may have a condition that is causing his memory to deteriorate.

The author writes in an elegant, yet understated manner. We get to know the protagonist in two stages of life – his youth when in love with Miko, and his later life as he travels to attempt to reconnect with her. They had kept their relationship a secret from her father, and Miko and her father had disappeared suddenly for reasons unknown to Kristófer.

The primary theme is memory, loss of it, gaps in it, and how people remember the same events differently. The narrative is driven by the quest to find Miko and the unveiling of the reason behind her sudden disappearance all those years ago. The tone is wistful. It is not for anyone looking for “action.” It is for those who like quiet novels with emphasis on deeply drawn believable characters and their thoughts. ( )

It should be said that Olafsson is one of my favorite authors and I have read everything he has written that is in English. He writes intimate, empathetic stories which plumb the depths of the human soul (while keeping the books relatively short).

Touch is a mere 259 pages and sells the story of an older man, Kristofer, whose memory is failing. While attempting to deal with his health issues, he receives a communication from Japan – an old girlfriend he dated back in the 60s when they were both students in London. He has mixed of feelings but decides to fly to Japan to see her….

This is a story of the past, the present, love, regret, and myster ( )