Louise Thunbo

Thirty-two-year-old Olivia works in the kitchen at a care home for elderly in Copenhagen, and although she loves preparing meals for the residents, something is missing from her life. Since her boyfriend left her more than a year ago, she has neither travelled, gone to parties, nor opened her heart to love again. Her few attempts at dating always end the same way: in disappointment. She knows that she should have gotten further in life by now.

In room number eight lives ninety-nine-year-old Vita. Fragile and suffering from Lewy body dementia, Vita has little appetite for food but a great appetite for life. Through her captivating stories, Vita takes Olivia on a journey from Copenhagen to Southeast Asia in the 1930s, where life as a young woman, facing both unfamiliar cultures and the social conventions of the time, demanded great courage and an unwavering belief in true love.

Vita's adventures awaken something in Olivia: a longing to travel, to cook food in other kitchens, and to dare finding love once more. Could Vita’s past hold the key to helping Olivia discover what Vita calls "the song of life"?

The Song of Life is the first instalment in The Journey of Life trilogy. It is a moving story of love, passion, and great adventure, about getting lost, and finding your way again.