Marianne Fredriksson (1927–2007)
Author of Hanna's Daughters
About the Author
Series
Works by Marianne Fredriksson
Associated Works
Zimtsternschnuppen: Weihnachten mit Cecelia Ahern, Tine Wittler, Martina Brandl und vielen anderen (2007) — Contributor — 2 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Fredriksson, Marianne
- Legal name
- Fredriksson, Marianne
- Other names
- Persson, Marianne (birth name)
- Birthdate
- 1927-03-28
- Date of death
- 2007-02-11
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- Sweden
- Birthplace
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Place of death
- Österskär, Sweden
- Places of residence
- Gothenburg, Sweden
Österskär, Sweden - Occupations
- writer
journalist
editor - Awards and honors
- BMF-plaketten (1985)
BMF-plaketten (1994) - Short biography
- Marianne Fredriksson (b. 1927) is one of the most prominent authors, not only in Sweden, but also in Europe. Her books have been translated into more than 47 languages and published in great volumes throughout the world. Before she embarked on her life as an author, Marianne Fredriksson had a successful career as a journalist on the newspapers Göteborgs-Tidningen and Svenska Dagbladet. Later on, she became Editor-in-Chief for the magazine Allt i Hemmet (Everything in the Home) and she also launched the successful magazines Vi föräldrar (Us Parents) and Allt om Mat (Everything About Food). She wrote her first book Evas bok (The Book of Eve) while recovering from a mid-life crisis, and in 1988 left her employment at Svenska Dagbladet to devote all her time to writing. Marianne Fredriksson died very suddenly on 11 February 2007. She wrote and published fourteen novels and a number of non-fiction books during her lifetime - all of which have enjoyed a large readership.
Members
Reviews
Hanna's Daughters: A Novel by Marianne Fredriksson
Here's what I wrote in 2008 about this read: "A good read; grandmothers, daughters, granddaughters . . Their histories, complexities, misunderstandings, relationships. Some good insights into Scandanavian culture. Originally written in Swedish; glad it made it into English."
I enjoyed this book very much. I live in Australia and of Swedish heritage. I have visited Scandinavia physically on three occasions and this book took me there virtually. Marianne Fredriksson describes the small things of life in minute and living detail. I felt I was present in the scene when Elisabeth and Katarina were packing up the Summer house in readiness for the coming winter.
Several of the characters are affected by violent actions and by isolation and yet the story is warm and positive. It is possible to be swept away by the beauty of a garden or uplifted by nature but the most moving part of this story is when Katarina begins to trust herself to tell her story.… (more)
Several of the characters are affected by violent actions and by isolation and yet the story is warm and positive. It is possible to be swept away by the beauty of a garden or uplifted by nature but the most moving part of this story is when Katarina begins to trust herself to tell her story.… (more)
A book by one of my favorite (Scandinavian) writers.
It was a pleasure to read. A sad book because of its contents, but also telling about the resilience of people who experience different types of tragedies at different moments in their lives.
I finishex it in no time, because it is much too hot to do many other things than reading.
It was a pleasure to read. A sad book because of its contents, but also telling about the resilience of people who experience different types of tragedies at different moments in their lives.
I finishex it in no time, because it is much too hot to do many other things than reading.
Hanna's Daughters is a novel of 3 generations of Swedish women.
Hanna, the daughter of peasant family, although raped as a young servant, married an ambitious miller and moved into the country gentry. But as the country moved into the 20th century, the agricultural economy languished, and when Hanna's husband died, the family was forced to move to Goteborg and learn to make their way in the city. Johanna, Hanna's daughter, after a disastrous stint in domestic service with a doctor's family, worked in a delicatessen and joined the Social Democrats as a young woman. She married a dashing young carpenter who took her sailing and bought her a house with a garden. However, it was not until after WWII, when she returned to work, earning her own money, that she felt secure and respected. She had mixed feelings when her daughter Anna went off to university and moved within the bourgeosie, the class she had despised since her youth. Anna supported herself as a writer even after her divorce from her adored, but womanizing, husband. It is Anna who delves into the stories of her mothers and grandmothers, revealing generations of secrets.
The summary sounds a bit like a soap opera, and Fredriksson sometimes resorts to stereotypes -- but the novel weaves in a century of Swedish history with a compelling family history. She skillfully navigates different narrative voices as she moves back and forth within the generations.
As a fourth-generation Swedish immigrant from families of strong women, I identified with the familial patterns and expectations. It's probably not a book for everyone, but the women in my family loved it.… (more)
Hanna, the daughter of peasant family, although raped as a young servant, married an ambitious miller and moved into the country gentry. But as the country moved into the 20th century, the agricultural economy languished, and when Hanna's husband died, the family was forced to move to Goteborg and learn to make their way in the city. Johanna, Hanna's daughter, after a disastrous stint in domestic service with a doctor's family, worked in a delicatessen and joined the Social Democrats as a young woman. She married a dashing young carpenter who took her sailing and bought her a house with a garden. However, it was not until after WWII, when she returned to work, earning her own money, that she felt secure and respected. She had mixed feelings when her daughter Anna went off to university and moved within the bourgeosie, the class she had despised since her youth. Anna supported herself as a writer even after her divorce from her adored, but womanizing, husband. It is Anna who delves into the stories of her mothers and grandmothers, revealing generations of secrets.
The summary sounds a bit like a soap opera, and Fredriksson sometimes resorts to stereotypes -- but the novel weaves in a century of Swedish history with a compelling family history. She skillfully navigates different narrative voices as she moves back and forth within the generations.
As a fourth-generation Swedish immigrant from families of strong women, I identified with the familial patterns and expectations. It's probably not a book for everyone, but the women in my family loved it.… (more)
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Statistics
- Works
- 27
- Also by
- 1
- Members
- 5,342
- Popularity
- #4,662
- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 107
- ISBNs
- 464
- Languages
- 19
- Favorited
- 21