New Swedish Books, autumn 2020 1
47 Autumn 2020 Threads of Memory “The first time
I met Otto,” Madame Vidal said to me,“ was in April 1935 – a day when, from early morning, the most delightful spring rain fell over Königsberg; a gentle rain, and within a few hours the trees had unfurled their little light green leaves.” It is there, in Königsberg, that the author begins her novel. In the summer of 1939 60 Jewish youngsters arrive from Germany to a farm in Sweden. They’re there to learn about farming so as to try and achieve their dream – a kibbutz in the future Israel. But war breaks out and they remain in Sweden. In her low-key, understated, language Hansson slowly shows how their lives become shattered by the Nazi terror. Königsberg, where the story began, is a place that no longer exists, except in the memory of those who once lived there. Today, she writes, Kaliningrad is like a façade erected on the graves of the displaced. The novel revolves around a conversation between Madame Vidal (one of the Jewish youths) and an ‘invisible’ first person narrator and follows the threads of the past, a Europe and a civilization that has perished. This is a novel shivering with life. Carola Hansson The jury: An important book, beautifully written. A captivating page-turner, despite its serious theme. Novel, 300 p. Carola Hansson Publisher Albert Bonniers Förlag Rights Carina Deschamps Agency Carina Deschamps carina@carinadeschamps.com Photo: Sara Mac Key