The Colony
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4.1 • 13 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOK OF 2025・NPR BEST BOOK OF 2025・BOOKLIST BEST BOOK OF 2025
A mega best-seller in Sweden, with rights sold to over a dozen countries and a TV adaptation underway, Annika Norlin’s debut novel The Colony is the biggest Swedish literary phenomenon since Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove.
“A disturbing, engrossing portrait of a tiny community living beyond society.”—Joumana Khatib, The New York Times Book Review
Winner of the Vi Literature Award and Swedish Radio’s Novel Prize, two of Sweden’s biggest literary awards, The Colony is a gripping portrayal of contemporary society and its alternatives.
Burnt-out from a demanding job and a bustling life in the city, Emelie has left town to spend a few days in the country. Once there, in the peaceful, verdant hills, down by the river she encounters a mysterious group of seven people, each with personal stories full of pain, alienation, and the longing to live differently. They are misfits, each in their own way, and all led by the enigmatic and charismatic Sara.
How did they end up there? Are they content with the rigid roles they’ve been assigned? And what happens when an outsider appears and is initially drawn to their alternative lifestyle but cannot help but stir things up?
A masterful blend of humor, emotion, unforgettable characters, and sharp social commentary, The Colony is a magnetic and deeply touching story about love, community, and the unfathomable power we other others and that others have over us.
★ “Norlin’s writing (as translated by Olsson) is clever and incisive, poking fun at modern society and the woodland community in equal measure... Ultimately, this is a treatise on humanity, on the things people need and the power and frailty of human connection. This is a novel that will stick with you.”—Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Swedish writer Norlin's remarkable debut revolves around a commune in the Swedish countryside. Members of "the Colony" include Aagny, previously imprisoned for manslaughter, and a young boy named Ersmo whom Aagny takes care of after his mother's mysterious disappearance. Sara, an animal liberation activist and ex-convict who served time for freeing chickens from a factory, joins the Colony with her partner after getting reacquainted with Aagny, whom she met in prison. They're joined by Sagne, an entomologist and distant cousin of Sara's sister-in-law, who was impregnated by her rapist and gives birth to her son, Låke, with Aagny's help. Sagne neglects Låke as an infant because he reminds her of her rapist, leaving Aagny to raise him as if he were her own. Each member finds their niche in taking care of the farm and one another until the arrival of journalist Emelie, who meets Låke when he's 14 and is surprised to learn he's never gone to school. Her presence at the commune disrupts the balance of their lives. Norlin's character work is superior, bringing each Colony member to vivid life and examining in nuanced detail how they interact. It's an impressive tale of a found family.
