All That Is Hidden

Katarina von Bredow

Joel is going to start sixth grade and that means going to a new school. But already on his first day it’s clear that nothing is going to change. The bullies are still there and worst of them all is Esther, she is really mean and gets the others to follow her. For Joel, life is about moving through the corridors without being seen, planning how fast he can cross the schoolyard and navigate through the free periods.

One night, when he is out with his dog, he sees someone on a bench in the park. Someone who is sad and bloody in the face. It’s Esther. She follows Joel home, and they develop a special friendship, a safe place where they can both share their secrets. Esther has a father who drinks too much and is violent, Joel’s mother left the family and moved to Umeå with her new husband. Joel has hardly seen her since. At school, everything continues as usual, but in secret, Esther and Joel, the bully and the bullied, can share all that is normally hidden.

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