I bought the trilogy as 3 books in one. And that is how you should read them, as 1 book. The 3 books are the 3 main chapters in the life of the main character, Tora.
There is so much pain in the book(s), so much suffering and loneliness your heart will sometimes break, but together with the maincharacter you will fight back, still too many pages to go/read, you can't give up, you have to go on and hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
So I suggest if you decide to read the story of Tora,( how she fights back, being a bastard child of a german soldier and norwegian islander, how she tries to connect with her mother, how she tries to avoid her stepfather of coming in her room at night, how she copes with an unwanted pregnancy, ... ) you buy the 3 books or the omnibus ... because when you start reading about Tora, you won't be able to let her go. You'll become her, and she'll become you.

Wassmo's spare and lyric prose is a joy to read. In unabashed language she tells the story of Tora, a young girl growing up on a remote Norwegian island a decade after World War II. The illegitimate daughter of a German soldier, Tora lives in a poor household with her drudging mother and a brutal step-father who subjects her to repeated sexual abuse. Fiercely silent, Tora deals with her ordeal alone, groping blindly for safety and an understanding of her predicament--and, at last, she becomes strong enough to overcome it. Her tale is set in the context of life in a small island village where the economy is based on fishing and small everyday dramas constantly unfold. This is the first volume in a trilogy about Tora; unfortunately, the other books in the series seem not to be available yet in English translation. I, for one, having also read "Dina's Book" with immense admiration for the author's talent and skill, will be waiting impatiently for them. Wassmo is a splendid writer and "The House with the Blind Glass Windows" is an excellent way to make her acquaintance.

As a teenager the self-willed Dina is married off to the much older merchant Jacob Gronelv of Reisnes. As a child she was responsible for the death of her mother and she carries this burden with her. After the, again unnatural, death of her husband she reigns over trading post Reisnes. She does not behave like a women, but she is still respected and accepted by the others. She is not capable of real love until the mysterious Russian Leo arrives, but this love also ends tragically.

The book Dina give a beautiful description of the the rough life in northern Norway during the 19th century. It also gives an magnificent impression of a strong woman who cannot or does not want to adapt. A book that is difficult to put down once one has started reading.

Herbjørg Wassmo is a Norwegian writer writing about Norwegian people. Her characters are always strong and Dina is no exeption. This book is one of the best I have ever read...

Herbjørg Wassmo has a fantastic, colorful language, and as soon as you are drawn into this small North Norway community of the 1900th century you will stay there through the book and still for a long time after the book is finished. The book is not at all an easy beach read, but you should give yourself the opportunity to read the book. It will change you as a person.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

Wow! This book is like ... probably the best I've ever read, and believe me when I say that I read A LOT!

Dina is a child of destiny who becomes a woman of pride.
Now she must use the power within her, and the forces around her to change the past and escape her fate.

Because her past is something she is reminded of every single day... Her mother. When Dina was about six years old, she managed to cause an accident which killed her mother. And after this, Dina sees her mother following her through her live, always appearing whenever Dina makes a decision or a new turn.

The book is about who Dina is, and how she meets the world when she gets married to her father's best friend.

You should also see the movie "I Am Dina" (2002), which is based on this book. Starring the wonderful, norwegian actress Maria Bonnevie as Dina. Also together with Gérard Depardieu. The cast is just simply brilliant, an the movie has it all: drama, humour, suspense, love, betrayel...

I've seen the film twice already, and I feel like I can totally relate to Dina. In an interview, Maria Bonnevie said that all women would feel they have a little Dina inside. And I couldn't agree more!

"I am Dina. This is my story".