Archive · 27 Oct 2025
Novel Explores Complexities of Child Grooming and Love
This book is about a man who develops a deep, inappropriate affection for a teenage girl.
The story is told from his point of view, making you question his motives and whether he understands the situation.
He sees the girl as pure and untouched, similar to how he views healthy animals.
The girl, interested in American pop culture and current events, doesn't always realize the implications of the relationship.
It's a complicated story that explores how the man's loneliness and past might have led him to this point, while also acknowledging the wrongness of his actions.
The novel, "My Heavenly Favourite," is written by Lucas Rijneveld and translated by Michele Hutchison.
The story is narrated by a 49-year-old vet who has a strong affection for a 14-year-old girl.
The narrator describes the relationship in a monologue, as if addressing a court.
The girl is interested in American pop culture and experiences a turning point during 9/11.
The novel explores themes of love, loneliness, and childhood experiences, blurring the lines of the situation.
- Who
- Lucas Rijneveld is the author, narrator is a 49-year-old vet, and the girl is 14.
- What
- The novel explores a relationship between a 49-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl.
- When
- The novel's events unfold in the present day, with the girl's childhood marked by 9/11.
- Where
- Rural Netherlands.
- Why
- The novel examines themes of love, loneliness, and the narrator's childhood experiences, creating an illusion of love.
- Title
- My Heavenly Favourite
- Author
- Lucas Rijneveld
- Translator
- Michele Hutchison
- Narrator's Profession
- Vet
- Narrator's Age
- 49
- Setting
- Rural Netherlands