Seventeen Stories

"As a young child I felt that I had been born into the wrong family, in the wrong country, and even in the wrong century. Finally, in my twenties, I set out in search of a place where I could feel at home. That I ended up in Sweden was not a conscious choice; in short, it just "happened." In the fifty years that I have lived here, I have put down my roots and immersed myself it Sweden's history and culture. Yet, as an immigrant, I am neither American nor Swedish; I am just myself. That suits me perfectly."This collection of short stories begins with semi-autobiographical portrayals of sibling rivalry while growing up in middle class America in the forties and fifties. Eventually this childhood obsession shifted its focus to a place called Europe, which in turn led to a radical change in my life. Although I found my roots at last, life did not automatically become all roses, as can be seen in the first two of these stories. Love is a powerful force. When it degenerates into domestic violence, it leaves deep psychological, emotional, and physical scars that never completely heal. Up until the middle of the 1950s, life for those living in the Swedish countryside was much the same as it had been for centuries. Not only did the poor live under primitive material conditions, but their treatment, by those considered to be their superiors, was often inhumane-especially when it came to children, who were frequently looked upon merely as a source of free labor and incapable of having feelings. But life had always been so and few had higher expectations. They made the most of the situations in which they found themselves. These stories are inspired by the lives of people I have known, or known about, who lived under the shadow of their superiors.Although born in America, Judit Martin has lived in Sweden since 1969. As a single mother, she raised her two daughters while teaching English and working as a weather observer for the Swedish weather bureau. She has written two documentary books in Swedish and a number of short stories in English. Her two novels, "Augusta's Daughter" and "Kajsa," depicting 19th century peasant life, are published by Penfield Books. Her photo book, "Swedish Medieval Church Painting," is soon to be released by Terrestrius Press Ltd.