1959
Stockholm, late 1950s. Ingrid is a single mother and lives with her son Tom in a small apartment in the city centre. She is a teacher at an all-girls’ school and enjoys having the freedom to make her own choices. She is also a frequent guest at the fancy dinner parties hosted by her friend Britt and her husband Ingvar, a renowned film producer.
Then she meets Georg, an ambitious young journalist who has just moved to the city, with grand ideals about a modern society that promises a better future for everyone. Neither one of them are in any rush to settle down, but when Ingrid falls unexpectedly pregnant they take their responsibility and make plans for their mutual family. They both dream about kinship and love, but at the same time they also share a strong desire for freedom. But how can one balance one’s expectations with a time that is still heavily reliant on social codes and traditions?
Helena von Zweigbergk’s novel evokes a time, a city and a pair of lovers. A man and a woman from different backgrounds who try to share their dreams of a brighter future and a more modern way of living and loving.
Helena von Zweigbergk (b. 1959) is an author, journalist and film critic. She started her literary career with the crime series about Ingrid Carlberg, a prison chaplain, and has since then written several bestselling novels revolving around contemporary family dramas. In 2008 she made her literary breakthrough with the hugely successful and praised novel From the…
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About the book
Stockholm, late 1950s. Ingrid is a single mother and lives with her son Tom in a small apartment in the city centre. She is a teacher at an all-girls’ school and enjoys having the freedom to make her own choices. She is also a frequent guest at the fancy dinner parties hosted by her friend Britt and her husband Ingvar, a renowned film producer.
Then she meets Georg, an ambitious young journalist who has just moved to the city, with grand ideals about a modern society that promises a better future for everyone. Neither one of them are in any rush to settle down, but when Ingrid falls unexpectedly pregnant they take their responsibility and make plans for their mutual family. They both dream about kinship and love, but at the same time they also share a strong desire for freedom. But how can one balance one’s expectations with a time that is still heavily reliant on social codes and traditions?
Helena von Zweigbergk’s novel evokes a time, a city and a pair of lovers. A man and a woman from different backgrounds who try to share their dreams of a brighter future and a more modern way of living and loving.
