Reading Log: September

The Swedish theme definitely continues this month as it begins while I’m North of the Arctic Circle (by quite some way!). Even once home in the UK, the Swedish influence continued.

Som ett brev på posten by Birgitta Bergin

It looks as though I actually bought this one in about 2017 but apparently hadn’t got around to reading it until now. It’s the story of two people in their eighties who unexpectedly find love, each having been widowed for a number of years. Their adult children are on the whole less than enthusiastic about the news, and the planned weekend of celebration turns into a display of selfishness, and hidden secrets are revealed.

Quite enjoyable, certainly a good holiday read, and a much lighter theme than most of my other reading at the moment!

Alla variationer av rätt by Camilla Olsson

I bought this while in Kiruna, a mining town in the very far north of Sweden; some of you may have seen the recent news coverage of the church being moved as a result of the mining activity under the western edge of the (old) town centre. A new town centre is being built further to the east - some businesses and residents have already been moved there, and others will be moving over the next few years and longer. This novel is all about the mining activity and the threat to the town - ever since she was a young girl, Hanna has seen the way the darkness wells up from the earth, threatening the town. The doctors think she is mentally ill and she’s under psychiatric care, but when she meets Jasmine she is finally believed and understood. Can she finally get people to listen and understand?

This was not a comfortable read at all - the mountain and mine literally overshadow the whole town, and in the week we were there autumn noticeably set in. It’s easy to see how threatening and overwhelming the winter darkness could feel. Hanna’s experience of being given treatments without her consent - she is deemed unable to give informed consent - and her feelings of impotence and frustration are sympathetically described.

This is an excellent book which considers some of the concerns around the mining and town move - the displacement of people, and abandonment of buildings is both a literal and metaphorical issue for which there are no easy answers.

Svalors flykt by Majgull Axelsson

This one caught my eye while browsing, as I was hugely moved by the other book by Majgull Axelsson which I read a few years ago, Jag heter inte Miriam [My name isn't Miriam]. This newer one was nominated for Book of the Year in 2023 so seemed worth a look, and I'm so glad I did! Christel is a psychologist assigned to Molly Andersson (or Zadie Moonbeam as she prefers to be called), to assess whether she is able to be given her own flat once she turns 18. Zadie has been in and out of foster care for the majority of her life, due to her abusive parents, and just craves a place of her own, and silence around her. Christel is trying to avoid facing up to her own diagnosis of a life-changing condition. After tragedy strikes, the two discover they have a lot more in common than either of them dreamed.

This absolutely had me hooked - I got through all 400 pages in just 2 days, which is a huge feat for me given that my Swedish reading is much slower than my English (although clearly far quicker than it was a couple of years ago!).

I don't understand for the life of me why Majgull Axelsson's books aren't translated into English - they're available in at least half a dozen other European languages, and this seems such an oversight. The characters are beautifully written, and very well developed through the book. This is definitely one to read again, and an author to collect more of!

Stolen by Ann-Helène Laestadius

A quick re-read of this one to refresh my memory before book club's meeting to discuss it. Slightly easier to read the second time round, as some of the tension of the first time was reduced, but still not at all comfortable. Still very strongly recommended as an insight into Sami-Swedish relations, and some of the issues around these.

The Memory Shop by Ella Griffin

Nice story; needed better editing to pick up the time jump and random tense switches.

September purchases:

Svalors flykt by Majgull Axelsson

Hjortronmyren by Ulrika Lagerlöf

Den skenhelige tornväktaren by Christina Olseni and Micke Hansen

De fenomenala fruntimren på Grand Hôtel by Ruth Kvarnström-Jones

Väninnorna på Nordiska Kompaniet by Ruth Kvarnström-Jones