Rakel has always been more comfortable with numbers than with people. At nineteen, she moves to Oslo to attend university. There she meets Jakob, a brilliant older teacher who becomes fascinated by Rakel's quick mind. Rakel and Jakob are drawn to each other and eventually become lovers, although he is already married. In the years to come, Rakel's academic career soars, but her health declines. With a gaze both naïve and mercilessly sharp, she examines what may be her life's only love story, looking for patterns and answers in numbers, music, and literature.
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