This was the second book by Harry Martinsson which I have read. To my understanding, it is based upon Martinsson's own life as a child growing up as a "communal baby" in Sweden during the early parts of the twentieth century. Martinsson was abandonded as a kid, and was then forced to move around between families. As is explained in book, and which is also touched upon in other books, for example Utvandrarna, this issue was solved through an auction, where the family who was willing to take on the child for the least amount of money from the municipality.
It was an interesting, and at times heartbreaking, book, which shared many of the good traits which I liked with the previous Martinsson book I read, Vägen till Klockrike. The thing which I liked most with both of these books is how Martinsson creates a window into another time. Martinsson uses a very beautiful, descriptive and inventive language in his books, creating words which I have never encountered before, but which make total sense when read. In contrast to Vägen till Klockrike, however, I didn't really feel like the story "took off". Perhaps I am just a bit more picky now than when I read Vägen till Klockrike, but I expected a bit more from the story. Given the setting, which I find very interesting, the book should have been able to have even more emotional strength than it did. With some few exceptions, I was not moved by the book, and although it was tragic in many ways, it didn't play on my heartstrings.
Overall, an interesting book with an interesting setting taking place in an interesting time. The story was however not to my liking. Perhaps it was limited by the fact that it is based on Martinsson's life. It is however fantastic that a child from that upbringing managed to later become a nobel laureate and one of the most acclaimed Swedish authors of all time. From that perspective, it truly is an amazing story.