Money

Thanks to Norvik Press for making this novel (among others) available in English. Benedictsson's tale of an innocent girl manipulated into a marriage she's neither ready nor suited for is a page-turner. Selma Berg is not your stereotypical 19th century heroine - she's neither a victim, a doormat, nor a "gentle parasite," to borrow a phrase from Thackeray. She's not a paragon of virtue, either - like all the characters in the book, Selma has her share of flaws, but ultimately she's a protagonist you can like and even admire. A feminist writer who ranks with Karin Michaelis and Amalie Skram, Victoria Benedictsson deserves a wider readership.