The Historians

I enjoyed listening to this book – not the best ever, but it kept my interest – and then in an epilogue at the very end, Edbäck reveals that the dreadful secret at its center is something that did not happen in Sweden. I was sort of shocked, as I\’m guessing that lots of readers will come away thinking that Swedes participated in the same sorts of unspeakable practices as the Nazis did – something that is not true. This seems very irresponsible to me. I should have read more closely the Washington Post review that sent me to this novel: \”Every author of fiction set in the past has to gauge how tolerant readers will be with pure invention, and mysteries are imaginative confections as a rule. But because Ekback’s book has within its scope the politics of a particular moment – Sweden on the tightrope of neutrality in 1943 – the demand to hew close to the record was perhaps higher than she reckoned. Though the overly speculative nature of the story is a weakness, its construction and dramatic denouncement are quite satisfying, and this what-if story illuminates a little-explored corner of wartime Europe.\” (Clare McHugh)

Set during World War II, this tale is different than the norm. Scandinavian history regarding race and claims of superiority, here specifically in Sweden, is a topic I was not knowledgeable about. The story is interesting with good characters (some aren\’t good people) and superbly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, as always.

The storyline of this book is fascinating and a bit frightening. The characters are believable and Laura and Jens well-defined. Descriptions of area and other characters are good. I would recommend this book to historic fiction fans and to those who have lived or visited Scandinavia. It’s a good read!

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