EN DAG SKA VI ÅTERVÄNDA – ECHOES OF HOME
By Carina Bergfeldt
THE YEAR IS 1790. Four people are taken to the small Caribbean island of Saint-Barthélemy – Sweden’s slave colony. A place none of them chose.
AXEL BANÉR IS sent on behalf of King Gustav III to serve the kingdom. Together with his wife Milda and their children, he begins the journey to a place where different laws apply.
IN THE ASHANTI EMPIRE, the young couple Yaa and Kwame dream of a future together. But during their wedding ceremony, the village is attacked by slave traders. In chains, they are taken across the ocean to a life in captivity.
UNDER THE SWEDISH FLAG, four destinies are intertwined in a story of power, freedom and identity. Carina Bergfeldt depicts, with the same intensity as in her reportage, a part of Swedish history that has long been silenced: our role in the transatlantic slave trade. The result is a poignant novel that combines vivid character portraits with historical precision.
ECHOES OF HOME is the first part of an epic two-book series that highlights a history Sweden has never wanted to see before – and makes it impossible to forget.
ABOUT THE BOOK
First published by Bookmark, Sweden 2026
RIGHTS SOLD
Sweden, Bookmark
REVIEWS
It is clear that the journalist and author Carina Bergfeldt has carried out thorough research. It is well-written and engaging. The fact that the story is told from different perspectives creates strong emotional bonds with the characters, leaving you wondering what will become of them long after you’ve turned the final page. […] How fortunate, that Echoes of Home is only the first part of the Gustavia Suite. 5/5.
– Camilla Bergvall, BTJ
Right from the start, you’re struck by the different styles, which depict the completely different settings: both convey a warm affection for the people at the heart of the story. The narrative picks up pace right from the start; I haven’t been able to put down the short chapters, whose plot jumps between the different settings and characters. […] Carina has done a thorough job, both in her research and in her writing, and I am eagerly awaiting part two!
– Eva, Akademibokhandeln
Carina Bergfeldt portrays both the characters and their fates in a way that makes everything feel real. I was completely drawn into the story and got a strong sense of what life might have been like during that period. It’s clear that a great deal of work has gone into the book, and Bergfeldt succeeds in making the story both vivid and accessible.
@boktokig
This book completely blew me away. It is rich in historical detail, and the idea of telling the story from the perspectives of the two couples is brilliant.
@bokkärringen
Echoes of Home is a powerful and well-written novel that both entertains and provokes thought. It sheds light on a dark chapter in Sweden’s history, and does so through stories that linger long after the final page has been read.
@systrarnaboktokiga
BOOKS
Fiction
