The “Hvis der skulle komme et menneske forbi” series, also known as the “Tue” trilogy by Thomas Korsgaard, follows the life of Tue, a boy growing up on a farm at the end of a gravel road near Skive in Denmark. The first novel paints a vivid portrait of a family struggling with financial hardship, set against the backdrop of the global financial crisis and a pressured agricultural sector. Through Tue’s eyes, readers experience the emotional and social challenges of being a child in a family with little stability or support, where the father desperately tries to keep things together and the mother escapes into the world of online casinos. The story is marked by both hardship and hope, capturing the resilience and creativity of a boy who must learn to navigate a difficult childhood largely on his own.
The series continues with “En dag vil vi grine af det” and “Man skulle nok have været der,” which follow Tue as he grows older and faces new challenges, including leaving home and confronting the consequences of his family’s struggles. The trilogy as a whole explores themes of poverty, family dysfunction, and the search for belonging, all seen through the lens of a child’s perspective. Despite the often bleak circumstances, the novels are infused with moments of humor and humanity, offering a nuanced and deeply empathetic look at life in Denmark’s rural periphery.
