FLYTTFÅGLAR – INGE AND MIRA

By Marianne Fredriksson

When it comes to life stories, oceans separate Inge from Mira. Inge is born during the long darkness of winter, while Mira is born under the burning sun. But they also have a great deal in common; they are both divorced and have brought up their children on their own – and both fill their lives with unnecessary worries over their adult children. They are the same age, they have counted their wrinkles and realize that from now onwards, they are heading downhill, so they have to forgive themselves. Flyttfåglar (Inge & Mira) is the story of two women and their friendship. As soon as they open up to each other, they find themselves vulnerable – more vulnerable than they have been for many years.

First published by Wahlström & Widstrand, 1999
230 pages

Sweden, Wahlström & Widstrand
Sweden, Talande Böcker (audio book)
Sweden, Wahlström & Widstrand (e-book)
Denmark, Forlaget Fremad
Denmark, Gyldendal (audio book)
Norway, Damm & Son
Finland, Otava
Finland, Suomen Äänikirjat (audio book)
Iceland, Vaka Helgafell
Germany, S.Fischer/Krüger Verlag
Germany, Der Hör Verlag (audio book)
The Netherlands, De Geus
UK, Orion
US, Ballantine
France, Éditions Ramsay
Spain, Emecé Editores
Portugal, Editorial Presenca
Italy, Longanesi
Turkey, Altin Kitaplar
Greece, Patakis
Hungary, Magyar Konyyklub
Slovakia, Slovart
Israel, Kinneret

Marianne Fredriksson is clearly a writer whose themes of motherhood, lost identity and the past have resonance and relevance. (…) The tremulous, delicate process of friendship is beautifully handled and will fulfil a need in readers who ache for a grown-up novel.
Sunday Times

Fredriksson is that rare individual, the born storyteller. Add to the fact that she seems to be able to get under the skin of any one of her female characters and you get a talent more precious than rubies.
Birmingham Post

Moving… Both Inge and Mira emerge as women with an inner delicacy that strengthens as their friendship grows.
Houston Chronicle

What starts simply as a charming tale of a rare friendship soon turns broader and deeper, as the circle of characters expands and terrible secrets are unearthed and shared.
Library Journal

Marianne Fredriksson is a bestselling author throughout Europe and the world, with her novels having been translated into 37 languages. She had long been fascinated by the fate of those who left Chile and made a home in the radically different climate and culture of Sweden, and has several close friends among them. Fredriksson was an award-winning editor of the women’s page in a leading Swedish newspaper until she started to write fiction in her late 40s, and for this novel she wanted to explore the theme of culture clash. Fortunately this intention does not overshadow what is first and foremost a strong story recording the friendship between two women, which grows in spite of differences in temperament, culture and experience. This is intelligent popular fiction of the better kind, which is entertaining, informative and moving.
Alannah Hopkin, Irish Examiner

Flyttfåglar (Inge & Mira) by Marianne Fredriksson is in some ways, a love story in the purest sense.
Andrea Watson, Southland Times

This is a book full of memories and reflections, a simple story of two women of opposing characters who are attracted by their differences.
Haurela Helclel

This is a skilfully told tale of the friendship between two women.
Nicki Young, BOP Times

Fredriksson touched many a chord with me and I found it a moving, almost personal glimpse of the emotions different events bring in our lives.
Jenny Davidson, HB Today

Flyttfåglar (Inge & Mira) is another potential winner. Unlike many novels, it doesn’t rely on a clever plot, but is about an instant connection between two women whose friendship induces them to confront their buried pasts. (…)After turning a few more pages, you’ll find yourself hooked until the succinct and satisfying end.
Rae Newman, 9th Advocate

A love of plants brings the women together. But the instability of the past threatens to usurp the harmony, and the lives of their families, in this poignant beautifully written book.
The Lady

Flyttfåglar (Inge & Mira) is a further impressive novel from Fredriksson.
Margaret Christensen, Waircrepe Times Age

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