SVERIGEFAMILJEN – THE SWEDISH FAMILY
By Susanna Alakoski
THE SWEDISH FAMILY is the final instalment in Susanna Alakoski’s critically acclaimed Cotton Quartet – a series of novels depicting women’s lives, class and textile work from 19th-century Finland to present-day Sweden and on to the Global South.
IN 21st CENTURY SWEDEN, Barbara, who is interested in art history, seeks answers in her family’s history – in what has been passed down and in what has never been told. In her search, she grows closer to her mother Kathrine, and together they try to understand a legacy that still shapes and influences their lives.
AS BARBARA BEGINS to unravel generations of women’s lives, from the cotton mill in Vaasa to the present day, questions arise that lead to a journey and an encounter with the garment industry in Bangladesh.
THE SWEDISH FAMILY ties together a century of experiences and shows how the past lives on – in the body, in relationships, and in our choices. And textile production continues.
ABOUT THE BOOK
To be published by Natur & Kultur, Sweden 2026
RIGHTS SOLD
Denmark, Amanda Books
Finland, WSOY
Norway, Samlaget
Sweden, Natur & Kultur
REVIEWS
How traditions and generations forge links – this is expressed particularly beautifully in Susanna Alakoski’s Cotton Quartet. But central to the narrative is also the portrayal of young people’s departure. The forces that drive Hilda, Greta and Kathrine to set off. The longing for a better life, for a life of their own, or simply a life. … a magnificent tapestry dedicated to Finnish and Swedish working-class women. It is a work that is both educational and deeply moving.
– Arbetarbladet
BOOKS
Fiction
