Marianne Frederiksson

"She was travelling north to tell her mother she was expecting a baby and had no intention of marrying the father"
By sally tarbox on 27 November 2017
Format: Paperback
Maybe *2.5 for what is a pleasant read but which in no way 'grabs' the reader. The characters have no depth or resonance, their deeds feel a little unreal.
The synopsis on the cover - single young woman with a number of relationships behind her finds herself pregnant - might lead the reader to imagine a gritty, inner-city tale. But Katerina is a comfortably-off and successful architect, surrounded by a loving family - pastor brother, teacher mother. However all our main characters have issues from their past which shape who they are: Elisabeth's husband (Katerina's father) was a violent bully; Elisabeth's mother was mentally unstable... and Katerina's lover is a violent, hard-drinking married man, with issues of his own...
The Swedish setting is very evident throughout; the Scandinavian 'hygge' permeates the characters' lives - the meals, the flower gardens, the decor.
Quite a nice read but not great writing.… (més)