Ilona Ežerinytė. Verksnių klubas (The Crying Club), Vilnius: Dominicus Lituanus, 2018. – 119 p.  

Lina is left all alone to take care of herself and her home. Her father leaves to receive treatment for alcoholism, and Lina wants nothing to do with her mother, who abandoned the family. One day, after visiting her father on her way home, she sees a girl in an abandoned building next to the bus stop. They get to know each other and it soon becomes clear that her new friend has set up a Crying Club there, where a group of teenagers meet to shed their tears, share their pain, and find solace and support. Lina joins the club, which helps her ponder the meaning of sadness and why it can be helpful to cry and share your pain. In the end, though, she must decide what is more important – to stand still and stew, or to do something.

Ilona Ežerinytė (b. 1964) studied Lithuanian language and literature at university and has worked for many years as a teacher. She began to write at the age of 50. Her first works were short stories and today she writes primarily for teenagers. Over four years she has published five books, several of which have received awards.

Awards

2018: Best YA Book of the Year Prize (Lithuania)

Selected translations

Danish: Grædeklubben. Translated by Stefan Anbro. Nyborg: Jensen & Dalgaard, 2023

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