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It Came to Me on a Whim - The Story of Ingeborg Andersson, Child Murderess
"Suddenly it struck him: the windows had not fogged up as they usually did in the winter when his wife hung up the laundry inside. There was a sour smell and the house was unusually quiet. "Where are the children?" he asked, receiving no answer. On opening the door to the bedroom, Artur saw the large, round copper washtub sitting just inside. It was half full of water, and the rest had spilled out onto the floor. The water left in the tub contained traces of vomit."
It is a cold Easter in the spring of 1929. Artur leaves his wife and three children alone for a few hours to go fetch firewood in the forest. When he returns, his world has collapsed. The story about Ingeborg Andersson and what happened that day in 1929 was a well-kept secret for seventy years. The tragic family drama is now being retold by Ingeborg Andersson's grand-niece, Maria Bouroncle.
A compelling and horrifying tale that will grip true-crime fans as Bouroncle's extensive research and tireless investigation slowly sheds light on her family's tightly-guarded family secret. Maria Bouroncle is a Swedish author. An economist by profession, she spent over 25 years in the field of international development before publishing her first novel in 2018.
It Came to Me on a Whim has been translated into several languages and is currently used on the Scandinavian Crime Literature course at UCLA. She lives in Washington, DC.
It is a cold Easter in the spring of 1929. Artur leaves his wife and three children alone for a few hours to go fetch firewood in the forest. When he returns, his world has collapsed. The story about Ingeborg Andersson and what happened that day in 1929 was a well-kept secret for seventy years. The tragic family drama is now being retold by Ingeborg Andersson's grand-niece, Maria Bouroncle.
A compelling and horrifying tale that will grip true-crime fans as Bouroncle's extensive research and tireless investigation slowly sheds light on her family's tightly-guarded family secret. Maria Bouroncle is a Swedish author. An economist by profession, she spent over 25 years in the field of international development before publishing her first novel in 2018.
It Came to Me on a Whim has been translated into several languages and is currently used on the Scandinavian Crime Literature course at UCLA. She lives in Washington, DC.
158 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2018
9 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Maria Bouroncle
8 books90 followersMARIA BOURONCLE is a Swedish author. An economist by profession, she spent over 25 years in the field of international development before publishing her first novel in 2018. "It Came to Me on a Whim: The Story of Ingeborg Andersson, Child Murderess" has been translated into several languages and is currently used on the Scandinavian Crime Literature course at UCLA. Maria lives in Washington D.C. and in the fall of 2025, her guidebook about the city, co-authored with Swedish journalist Karin Henriksson, was released.
"It Came to Me on a Whim", tells the story of Maria's great-aunt who killed her three children in 1929.
The independent sequel, "The Girl with a Name Tag: A Finnish War Child in Sweden", published in Swedish in 2022 and in Finnish 2024, tells the story of Hilja, a 12 year old Finnish girl who arrives to Vesene, a small Swedish village in 1944.
"Chicago Dreams: The Story of a Young Immigrant", the last part of the trilogy about young women during the 20th century, was published in Swedish in 2024.
In 2021 and 2022, Carl Eneroth's film "The Child Murderess of Vesene", based on Maria's book about Ingeborg, won the prize for "Best Short Documentary" in Budapest, London, Miami and New Jersey.
"It Came to Me on a Whim", tells the story of Maria's great-aunt who killed her three children in 1929.
The independent sequel, "The Girl with a Name Tag: A Finnish War Child in Sweden", published in Swedish in 2022 and in Finnish 2024, tells the story of Hilja, a 12 year old Finnish girl who arrives to Vesene, a small Swedish village in 1944.
"Chicago Dreams: The Story of a Young Immigrant", the last part of the trilogy about young women during the 20th century, was published in Swedish in 2024.
In 2021 and 2022, Carl Eneroth's film "The Child Murderess of Vesene", based on Maria's book about Ingeborg, won the prize for "Best Short Documentary" in Budapest, London, Miami and New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 16, 2022
https://deluwrites.blogspot.com/2022/...
Rating 3.5
Writing 3/5
Plot 4/5
Characters 3/5
Content 3/5
Enjoyment 4/5
'It Came To Me On A Whim' is a True crime by Maria Bouromcle. Originally written in Swedish and translated (to English) by Tom Ellett.
This story is about her great aunt who killed her three children; her life in prison and afterwards.
This story happens in 1929, in rural Sweden. Ingeborg Maria Anderson killed her three children on a whim, when she supposed to bathe her kids on a bathtub.
Ingeborg's father suffered from depression and her mother is rude to her and after the birth of her 3rd child her illness worsened, it's no shock she killed her children, she's in need of treatment and was ignored.
Bouroncle remembers her great aunt as an overweight lady in the flowery dresses.
"She was the slightly overweight
lady in the flowery dresses and ugly hats who used to scream for help"
The book is written well, characters and Plot is very well developed. It's a fast pased read. Couldn't put this book down. This is so sad but yet an amazing story.
The way prison life described here and the way the hospital treated patients is quite a shock. I loved Ingeborg's life in prison.
The story feel lengthy and some uninteresting and unwanted characters, overdone descriptions and discussions makes it so hard to keep up with the story and it got me bored reading unnecessary stuff.
The book is written well and the plot and characters kept me engaged You should definitely give it a try!
Thank you to the Author for providing a e-review copy. Note this is my HONEST review of the book.
Rating 3.5
Writing 3/5
Plot 4/5
Characters 3/5
Content 3/5
Enjoyment 4/5
'It Came To Me On A Whim' is a True crime by Maria Bouromcle. Originally written in Swedish and translated (to English) by Tom Ellett.
This story is about her great aunt who killed her three children; her life in prison and afterwards.
This story happens in 1929, in rural Sweden. Ingeborg Maria Anderson killed her three children on a whim, when she supposed to bathe her kids on a bathtub.
Ingeborg's father suffered from depression and her mother is rude to her and after the birth of her 3rd child her illness worsened, it's no shock she killed her children, she's in need of treatment and was ignored.
Bouroncle remembers her great aunt as an overweight lady in the flowery dresses.
"She was the slightly overweight
lady in the flowery dresses and ugly hats who used to scream for help"
The book is written well, characters and Plot is very well developed. It's a fast pased read. Couldn't put this book down. This is so sad but yet an amazing story.
The way prison life described here and the way the hospital treated patients is quite a shock. I loved Ingeborg's life in prison.
The story feel lengthy and some uninteresting and unwanted characters, overdone descriptions and discussions makes it so hard to keep up with the story and it got me bored reading unnecessary stuff.
The book is written well and the plot and characters kept me engaged You should definitely give it a try!
Thank you to the Author for providing a e-review copy. Note this is my HONEST review of the book.
March 29, 2022
Ik heb het gelezen in een opwelling. Ik kende het verhaal van Ingeborg Andersson niet, maar het zag eruit als een boeiend historisch true crime verhaal en niet al te lang, dus leuk voor tussendoor. Op zich had ik het daar bij het rechte eind, al was het wel echt een triest verhaal. Goed verteld, met archiefpassages ondersteund, komt het verhaal van Ingeborg Andersson uit de verf. Waarom nou juist dit verhaal is uitgewerkt, dat is me wat onduidelijk tijdens het lezen van dit boek.. Het is immers meer een verdrietig verhaal, dan een duistere geschiedenis vol bloeddorstige details, maar uiteindelijk wordt het duidelijk dat het geschreven is door een latere generatie en dat maakte het wel goed, al had dit detail volgens mij beter als inleiding kunnen dienen. Toch, voor een boekje tussendoor, was het wel boeiend genoeg om te blijven lezen. Goed, niet geweldig.
February 10, 2019
Händelsen är fruktansvärt tragisk och ofattbar men Maria Bouroncle lyckas ändå få oss att förstå bakgrunden. Att hon dessutom vävt ihop berättelsen med hur Ingeborg behandlades inom fångvården efter morden och senare på Resta gör det till en bladvändare. Och Ingeborgs brev till Artur är gripande.
August 26, 2022
Once I started I just couldn't stop reading. I've read many true crime books but this one is different. It's not just a retelling of the cold facts, but a very clever retelling of what happened to Ingeborg, before and after she killed her three children.
What becomes clear in this story are, for me, a few important points. The first one being that Ingeborgs father suffered from moodswings and depression so it is not unthinkable she inhereted her problems from him. Second, her mother was very cruel to her and nobody ever saw how Ingeborg struggeled. She settles into her marriage with Artur because she really loves him and is happy with the lovely house on the big farm, her husband and three children. They have no actual problems but Ingeborg starts to act strange after the birth of her third child.
So, what would have happened to day, almost a hundred years later? Ingeborg would probably be diagnosed early in her life, and hopefully received the correct treatment. It's not to say she couldn't have led a fine life without ever harming someone - let alone her children. On the other hand, it still happens sometime that young mothers suffer from a postnatal depression, and even suffer from psychosis.
I liked the way her daily life in prison was described. She stays there over a year before being committed to a hospital, and it struck me how 'modern' the prison worked. Prisoners had to earn their own money, but they were for the biggest part quite comfortable. It was a shock to read how Ingeborg and the other patients were treated in the hospital!
Anyway, we get to know Ingeborg and her family rather well and it was great to read their story.
Maria Bouroncle kindly sent me a pdf for review purposes.
What becomes clear in this story are, for me, a few important points. The first one being that Ingeborgs father suffered from moodswings and depression so it is not unthinkable she inhereted her problems from him. Second, her mother was very cruel to her and nobody ever saw how Ingeborg struggeled. She settles into her marriage with Artur because she really loves him and is happy with the lovely house on the big farm, her husband and three children. They have no actual problems but Ingeborg starts to act strange after the birth of her third child.
So, what would have happened to day, almost a hundred years later? Ingeborg would probably be diagnosed early in her life, and hopefully received the correct treatment. It's not to say she couldn't have led a fine life without ever harming someone - let alone her children. On the other hand, it still happens sometime that young mothers suffer from a postnatal depression, and even suffer from psychosis.
I liked the way her daily life in prison was described. She stays there over a year before being committed to a hospital, and it struck me how 'modern' the prison worked. Prisoners had to earn their own money, but they were for the biggest part quite comfortable. It was a shock to read how Ingeborg and the other patients were treated in the hospital!
Anyway, we get to know Ingeborg and her family rather well and it was great to read their story.
Maria Bouroncle kindly sent me a pdf for review purposes.
January 14, 2023
En väldigt sorglig och djupt rörande historia som är baserad på Maria Bouroncles egna släkthistoria. I sjuttio år talade ingen om det som hänt och alla spår av händelsen hade gömts undan. Ingeborg var Marias mormors syster. När barnen begravdes förstördes alla foton på dem. Med hjälp av bland annat Ingeborgs brev till maken Artur och sjukhusjournaler har Maria tagit reda på vad som faktiskt hände med Ingeborg efter den tragiska händelsen. Det är detta som ligger till grund för boken.
Boken berör verkligen och ger en insyn i rättssystemet och mentalvården i början av 1930-talet. Vi får ta del av breven Ingeborg skriver till maken och det är väldigt gripande. I boken ”En flicka med en lapp om halsen” (som jag nyss läste) får vi veta vad som hände Artur senare och nu förstår jag honom bättre.
Två gripande historier och särskilt då de är baserade på verkliga historier. Jag kan rekommendera dig att läsa båda böckerna.
January 19, 2019
Inledningen är lysande. Den sätter tonen för hela berättelsen och sedan vill man inte sluta läsa! Språket är imponerande genomarbetat och trovärdigt för att vara en debut. Man behöver absolut inte vara intresserad av släktforskning för att ha behållning av boken utan den kan läsas som en historisk roman om hur det gick för kvinnor som begick det mest fruktansvärda brott som en kvinna kan begå.En klar trea och ett författskap som det ska bli spännande att följa!
February 22, 2021
Mycket intressant människoporträtt och öde, liksom brottet som är så ofattbart.. Mycket välskriven och intressant med varvat berättande om henne och brev skrivna av Ingeborg.
Want to read
October 29, 2023i’m horrifyingly intrigued
March 27, 2025
Vilken hemsk och tragiskt historia. Den berörde mig verkligen på djupet och trots det hemska som Ingeborg gjorde mot sina barn, så tycker man på nåt sätt om henne och ibland är det till och med synd om henne. Intressant att följa med henne på 1920-talets svenska vårdinrättningar; hur fängelse och sjukhusvård var på den tiden. Och det gamla språket i boken är för härligt. Denna bok kommer jag bära med mig länge ❤️
August 28, 2022
Book Review by Patrick H. Moore, August 24, 2022
There is probably no crime that stirs up the good women of America as much as a mother murdering her young children. This is understandable as it is a truly hideous crime, a crime that scorches the soul, a crime which seems to manifest without warning out of nowhere, leaving the children dead and the mother in a state of bewildered denial.
Once upon a time in the good old USA, murdering mothers were ultimately declared insane and paid for their crime by spending much of their lives in mental institutions. Now, however, it’s very difficult to defend oneself from any such disturbing crime by claiming insanity. At a societal level, this syndrome manifests in our prisons, and some estimate that as many as 30 or 40 percent of our long-term prisoners suffer from moderate to severe mental illness. The cold hard fact is that our prisons double as insane asylums.
I was recently asked to review a book called It Came to Me on a Whim, the Story of Ingeborg Andersson, Child Murderess. The book is written by Maria Bouroncle, a distant relative of Ms. Andersson.
The story begins at the funeral of the three little children who Ingeborg, on a whim, strangled when she was supposed to be bathing them in an old fashioned wash tub, circa 1929.
After the murders. Ingeborg confessed and was taken to prison, tried for her crimes and ultimately declared insane. Curiously, although she tried, Ingeborg was never able to articulate why she murdered her little ones. The murderous act that resulted in the death of the three young children truly was the tragic result of a “whim” in their mother’s mind.
About 10 years after the murders, Ingeborg had recovered her equilibrium sufficiently to be released back into the community and she spent the rest of her life, until 1978, rotating back and forth between the asylum at Restad and the homes of relatives. Ingeborg died in 1978 at the age of 77. By that point, she seemed to no longer remember her little ones, though she would often scream in terror during the night.
What I found especially interesting about Ingeborg’s story is that her insanity and its accompanying murderous rage seemed to come out of nowhere, and once it was all over seemed to retreat back to the same elusive nowhere. In short, although Ingeborg was at some point diagnosed as a catatonic schizophrenic, at no time during her sad story do we ever get a clear understanding of why she murdered her children for the simple reason that she herself did not know what triggered her awful deed.
Maria Bouroncle, the author of It Came to Me on a Whim, is a distant relative of Ingeborg. She encountered Ingeborg on multiple occasions during those intervals when Ingeborg was living back in the community. Maria describes Ingeborg as a somewhat chubby older woman who wore flowery dresses and was prone to screaming at night.
Which sets this book apart from many other true crime stories is the author’s superb prose style which is calm, measured and seems to reflect the rural communities that she is describing. There’s an earthy naturalness about the prose that seems appropriate for this story that begins and ends in rural Sweden. Reading this story, despite the sad event that occasioned did, was pure pleasure simply because the story was so well written.
There’s one other point that I would like to comment upon. After her arrest, Ingeborg was taken to prison and then was later housed in the asylum at Restad. With a single exception, all of the prison and asylum officials who dealt with Ingeborg treated her with kindness and respect. At no time was she dehumanized or treated like a despised animal. Rather, the dedicated individuals who worked in the Swedish penal and mental health systems treated Ingeborg, her hideous crime notwithstanding, like an actual living breathing human being worthy of respect. I was touched by the kindness Ingeborg received from almost everyone who cared for her. I only wish that here in the United States we had a system in which those who deviate from the norm, however dramatically, are still treated as worthwhile human beings. Reading It Came to Me on a Whim is a dramatic reminder of how far we here in America have to go if we ever want to be thought of as a truly civilized nation.
There is probably no crime that stirs up the good women of America as much as a mother murdering her young children. This is understandable as it is a truly hideous crime, a crime that scorches the soul, a crime which seems to manifest without warning out of nowhere, leaving the children dead and the mother in a state of bewildered denial.
Once upon a time in the good old USA, murdering mothers were ultimately declared insane and paid for their crime by spending much of their lives in mental institutions. Now, however, it’s very difficult to defend oneself from any such disturbing crime by claiming insanity. At a societal level, this syndrome manifests in our prisons, and some estimate that as many as 30 or 40 percent of our long-term prisoners suffer from moderate to severe mental illness. The cold hard fact is that our prisons double as insane asylums.
I was recently asked to review a book called It Came to Me on a Whim, the Story of Ingeborg Andersson, Child Murderess. The book is written by Maria Bouroncle, a distant relative of Ms. Andersson.
The story begins at the funeral of the three little children who Ingeborg, on a whim, strangled when she was supposed to be bathing them in an old fashioned wash tub, circa 1929.
After the murders. Ingeborg confessed and was taken to prison, tried for her crimes and ultimately declared insane. Curiously, although she tried, Ingeborg was never able to articulate why she murdered her little ones. The murderous act that resulted in the death of the three young children truly was the tragic result of a “whim” in their mother’s mind.
About 10 years after the murders, Ingeborg had recovered her equilibrium sufficiently to be released back into the community and she spent the rest of her life, until 1978, rotating back and forth between the asylum at Restad and the homes of relatives. Ingeborg died in 1978 at the age of 77. By that point, she seemed to no longer remember her little ones, though she would often scream in terror during the night.
What I found especially interesting about Ingeborg’s story is that her insanity and its accompanying murderous rage seemed to come out of nowhere, and once it was all over seemed to retreat back to the same elusive nowhere. In short, although Ingeborg was at some point diagnosed as a catatonic schizophrenic, at no time during her sad story do we ever get a clear understanding of why she murdered her children for the simple reason that she herself did not know what triggered her awful deed.
Maria Bouroncle, the author of It Came to Me on a Whim, is a distant relative of Ingeborg. She encountered Ingeborg on multiple occasions during those intervals when Ingeborg was living back in the community. Maria describes Ingeborg as a somewhat chubby older woman who wore flowery dresses and was prone to screaming at night.
Which sets this book apart from many other true crime stories is the author’s superb prose style which is calm, measured and seems to reflect the rural communities that she is describing. There’s an earthy naturalness about the prose that seems appropriate for this story that begins and ends in rural Sweden. Reading this story, despite the sad event that occasioned did, was pure pleasure simply because the story was so well written.
There’s one other point that I would like to comment upon. After her arrest, Ingeborg was taken to prison and then was later housed in the asylum at Restad. With a single exception, all of the prison and asylum officials who dealt with Ingeborg treated her with kindness and respect. At no time was she dehumanized or treated like a despised animal. Rather, the dedicated individuals who worked in the Swedish penal and mental health systems treated Ingeborg, her hideous crime notwithstanding, like an actual living breathing human being worthy of respect. I was touched by the kindness Ingeborg received from almost everyone who cared for her. I only wish that here in the United States we had a system in which those who deviate from the norm, however dramatically, are still treated as worthwhile human beings. Reading It Came to Me on a Whim is a dramatic reminder of how far we here in America have to go if we ever want to be thought of as a truly civilized nation.
December 15, 2022
On a March day in 1929, Artur Andersson leaves his family to gather firewood in the forest. He returns to find his wife Ingeborg fidgeting with the watch he left behind and his three children drowned in a copper wash tub in the other room. For 70 years the details of Ingeborg’s actions have been a family secret but now her grand-niece Maria Bouroncke is telling her story.
What is intriguing to me about this story is we know who did it. The focus is the unfolding of the “why” element. As more is revealed about Ingeborg’s upbringing and background that assists the reader to clues and insight on what could have motivated a mother to mirder her children. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique view of the writing that caused me to be sympathetic for Ingeborg.
I would recommend this book for fans of older true crimes. I think people interested in psychiatry would also like to read this due to the puzzling actions and limited psychiatry at the time of th crime. I suggest reading this book on a night where you can devote your undivided attention and really sink yourself into this fascinating case.
What is intriguing to me about this story is we know who did it. The focus is the unfolding of the “why” element. As more is revealed about Ingeborg’s upbringing and background that assists the reader to clues and insight on what could have motivated a mother to mirder her children. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique view of the writing that caused me to be sympathetic for Ingeborg.
I would recommend this book for fans of older true crimes. I think people interested in psychiatry would also like to read this due to the puzzling actions and limited psychiatry at the time of th crime. I suggest reading this book on a night where you can devote your undivided attention and really sink yourself into this fascinating case.
October 7, 2022
Maria Bouroncle's book is well-written about her family's heartbreaking tragedy at the turn of the century. It Came to Me on a Whim holds the reader's interest throughout the book and is well-researched. While devasting for the family, it is a fascinating story that sheds light on the mental health and penal system of that time and how complicated mental health issues can be. I recommend It Came to Me on a Whim! ~ Catherine Taughinbaugh, author of The Compassion Antidote
January 10, 2023
5 stars
This was a bit hard of a read, I wasn’t expecting most of the events that accrued in this book,
After this read, I googled most of it, and it was really hard, all crime stories are sad, but true crime?
There is a longer review to come
This was a bit hard of a read, I wasn’t expecting most of the events that accrued in this book,
After this read, I googled most of it, and it was really hard, all crime stories are sad, but true crime?
There is a longer review to come
July 18, 2022
Det kändes som om den slutade mitt o inte var helt klar... men bra story!
October 9, 2022
It Came to Me on a Whim - The Story of Ingeborg Andersson, is a worthy and highly recommended reading in this time, for many reasons: First, we are coming out of a Pandemia realizing that mental health issues has acquired a new dimension in our lives, one that requires a complete revaluation of how we handle it, treat the patients and deal with the consequences that may come from tragic events. Secondly, the author offers us a complete glimpse of how different the approach to mental illness was at the time, the end of the 1920’s, in the case of the child murdering of the three children by Ingeborg. Totally eye opening is that, at that time, society had already evolved so much that Ingeborg was treated as a sick person and was declared not guilty of the crime because of insanity. Even now, in many countries, including USA, they are mostly considered as the worst criminals.
As soon as you get into the first pages the author narrates the events leading to the murdering of the children and then it is easy to think of many ways in which the author could have a different route. You think that it could have written as a thriller or you could have started building the characters in the book so that you could understand the context before the tragic event. But as you delve into the book it becomes evident that the direct way to tell the story that the author uses is the most appropriate for what follows, a continuous challenge to the reader to reflect at the evidence that its is presented with. Furthermore, the author complements it with a historical fiction type of narrative where true and documented events are complemented by the fictional construction of Ingeborg life before the tragedy. The challenge to the reader continues throughout the book. One is constantly asking questions rather than receiving the views of the author about the treatment and management of Ingeborg confinement and health.
María Bouroncle has been very courageous exposing this family story and deserves great credit for her honesty telling the story. The reader soon realizes that it is something that could happen to anyone and will certainly become aware of the fragility of the mind. The author must be praised for leaving out all the technical medical details and giving us such story in such a direct and practical way that allow us to understand the dimension of the human tragedy.
As soon as you get into the first pages the author narrates the events leading to the murdering of the children and then it is easy to think of many ways in which the author could have a different route. You think that it could have written as a thriller or you could have started building the characters in the book so that you could understand the context before the tragic event. But as you delve into the book it becomes evident that the direct way to tell the story that the author uses is the most appropriate for what follows, a continuous challenge to the reader to reflect at the evidence that its is presented with. Furthermore, the author complements it with a historical fiction type of narrative where true and documented events are complemented by the fictional construction of Ingeborg life before the tragedy. The challenge to the reader continues throughout the book. One is constantly asking questions rather than receiving the views of the author about the treatment and management of Ingeborg confinement and health.
María Bouroncle has been very courageous exposing this family story and deserves great credit for her honesty telling the story. The reader soon realizes that it is something that could happen to anyone and will certainly become aware of the fragility of the mind. The author must be praised for leaving out all the technical medical details and giving us such story in such a direct and practical way that allow us to understand the dimension of the human tragedy.
April 6, 2021
Ögonen tåras gång på gång när jag läser ”Det kom för mig i en hast” men att sluta läsa denna hjärtskärande berättelse går inte.
Hur kan det vara möjligt att begå en så ödesdiger ofrivillig och oåterkallelig handling? Denna fråga driver mig att läsa vidare. Delvis får jag svar på frågan. Ingeborg Andersson lider av djup depression, kanske något mer, idag hade utlåtandet troligtvis varit djupgående på ett annat plan.
Ingeborgs faktiska brev till maken Artur tillsammans med författarens förmåga att fiktivt återge, tankar, samtal, detaljer och miljöbeskrivningar, ger mig som läsare trovärdiga scener som mycket väl hade kunnat vara autentiska den tid de utspelar sig i. Ingeborgs tankar tillsammans med personliga samtal i berättelsen känns äkta. Här har författaren Maria lyckats att lägga sin själ i berättandet, gett den styrka och gjort den till ett konstverk. Språket är trovärdigt och imponerande och förflyttar oss direkt in i skeendets tidsatmosfär. Det dialektala språket ger berättelsen ytterligare en dimension.
Ingeborgs minnen och tillbakablickar före det sorgliga som drabbat henne varvas med berättelsen som skrider framåt. Detta är genomtänkt och får naturliga övergångar så som tankebanor i verkligheten kan te sig.
Författaren ger mig ett trovärdigt porträtt av Ingeborg, en finstämd individ som trots det katastrofala i sin verklighet försöker hitta tillbaka till livet. Jag får en bild av att Ingeborgs sätt att vissa gånger agera levnadsglad och utanför verkligheten handlar om att förtränga det tunga.
Författarens otroliga forskningsarbete har gett oss möjligheten att få följa Ingeborg från dåd till rättegång och till vårdinrättning. Hoppas på att få läsa mer av Maria Bouroncle.
September 25, 2019
Reviewing in English because my friends on here speak English, as per usual. But no, this book does not exist in translation.
It's the true, very tragic story about Ingeborg Andersson, who in 1929 drowned her three children in a wash tub while her husband was outside fetching firewood. She hadn't been well for some time, and was quickly cleared from murder charges because of mental illness. She spent a year in detention, two more (or was it three?) in a mental institution, and even after she was cleared to go back into society she was terrified that it would come back, and kept asking to be re-admitted.
The author is the grandchild of Ingeborg's sister, and she has done a lot of research and have Ingeborg's letters, and so on. It's on and off a fictionalized version of this, with dialogue nobody could've told the author, and so on. I was okay with that, though, because it made the story feel real, but at the same time - in audiobook format the skipping back and forth was confusing at times.
In all, a very tragic story, and I'm glad I listened to it, completely randomly.
It's the true, very tragic story about Ingeborg Andersson, who in 1929 drowned her three children in a wash tub while her husband was outside fetching firewood. She hadn't been well for some time, and was quickly cleared from murder charges because of mental illness. She spent a year in detention, two more (or was it three?) in a mental institution, and even after she was cleared to go back into society she was terrified that it would come back, and kept asking to be re-admitted.
The author is the grandchild of Ingeborg's sister, and she has done a lot of research and have Ingeborg's letters, and so on. It's on and off a fictionalized version of this, with dialogue nobody could've told the author, and so on. I was okay with that, though, because it made the story feel real, but at the same time - in audiobook format the skipping back and forth was confusing at times.
In all, a very tragic story, and I'm glad I listened to it, completely randomly.
January 17, 2023
Maria fick på omvägar veta att hennes mors moster, Ingeborg, inte bara var den gamla tanten de besökt på sjukhemmet, utan även en barnamörderska. Till en början gjorde hon som resten av släkten, gömde undan kunskapen, men några år senare började hon forska i Ingeborgs historia. Och med hjälp av rättegångsprotokoll och läkarutlåtande, fängelse- och mentalsjukhusdokument samt privata brev från Ingeborg har hon skrivit en bok om sin släkting.
Ingeborg var relativt nybliven trebarnsmor när hon en dag dränkte sina två söner och sin lilla dotter i bykkaret. Hennes mans bror upptäckte dådet, men barnens liv gick inte att rädda. Och Ingeborg själv var knappt medveten om vad hon hade gjort. Hon dömdes och kom till kvinnofängelset i Vänersborg från vilket hon senare flyttades till mentalsjukhuset i Restad och vi får följa henne hela vägen.
Det är en mycket intressant - och sorglig - berättelse som jag verkligen rekommenderar!
Ingeborg var relativt nybliven trebarnsmor när hon en dag dränkte sina två söner och sin lilla dotter i bykkaret. Hennes mans bror upptäckte dådet, men barnens liv gick inte att rädda. Och Ingeborg själv var knappt medveten om vad hon hade gjort. Hon dömdes och kom till kvinnofängelset i Vänersborg från vilket hon senare flyttades till mentalsjukhuset i Restad och vi får följa henne hela vägen.
Det är en mycket intressant - och sorglig - berättelse som jag verkligen rekommenderar!
February 12, 2021
A very interesting story based on a real case from the the late 1920's. A young married woman Ingeborg in Vesene parish, Västergötland county, Sweden, kills her three children by drowning them in a washbasin in the kitchen. What reasons lie behind her dreadful action? A later relative of hers, the author Maria Bouroncle, tries to find out who this woman Ingeborg really was, in what circumstances she was living and what happened to her after having been charged for her crime. She gives a credible time atmosphere to her story by reproducing many details, giving an emotional picture of Ingeborg and not the least by quoting several of Ingeborg's letters to her husband during her imprisonment and hospital stays. Though she could never give an understandable explanation for her hasty crime more than her words before the court which form the title of this book:" It came for me in a hurry."
August 5, 2022
This is not a whodunnit; we already know this book is about a mother who murders her children. The question is, why? Also, how did society treat her, and what happened to her? What gives the story an extra twist is that the killer is the sister of the author's grandmother. Yes, we are talking about a well-guarded family secret here.
The book relies on original documents such as trial transcripts and medical records, and beneath that lurks the two main questions: why did she do it, and who was she? The story is well told and stays interesting throughout. It's a journey in time which I find interesting, especially how the justice system worked in 1920's Sweden and how criminals like Ingeborg Andersson were treated. If you are into historical, true crime, you will definitely enjoy this one.
The book relies on original documents such as trial transcripts and medical records, and beneath that lurks the two main questions: why did she do it, and who was she? The story is well told and stays interesting throughout. It's a journey in time which I find interesting, especially how the justice system worked in 1920's Sweden and how criminals like Ingeborg Andersson were treated. If you are into historical, true crime, you will definitely enjoy this one.
August 5, 2022
A heartbreaking story - and it's true. Luckily the author started digging in her family history and refused to let the three children be forgotten and buried in a nameless grave! In the book we follow the unlucky mother Ingeborg who suddenly drowns her beloved children "on a whim". We follow her all the way from the gruesome deed, thru imprisonment and finally back again to a society that maybe could forgive and forget. This dramatized true story is supported both by authorities' protocols and interviews with those still living who knew Ingeborg. The author Maria Bouroncle herself only knew Ingeborg as an old confused spinster she had to visit in a nursing home as a child. The rest nobody spoke about.
November 26, 2019
Jag har läst ’Det kom för mig i en hast’ av Maria Bouroncle. Jag är mycket imponerad. Det är en sådan ofattbart sorglig händelse som författaren berättar. Det jag imponerades så av var bokens miljöskildringar. Så målande beskrivet att man som läsare känner det som att man är med på plats i historien och kan betrakta det som händer. Maria Bouroncle måste ha gjort kopiöst med research, inte bara kring mentalvården vid den tiden utan också om hur vardagen såg ut för människorna som levde i byn Vesene då. Hon har också fått till det dialektala i språket som ytterligare bidrar till den närvaro man får som läsare.
October 4, 2020
Tidvis lite svårt att hänga med var i tiden berättelsen befinner sig p g a avsaknad av naturliga pauser/radmatningar mellan stycken som tydligare visar att vi nu hoppat tillbaka i tiden.
Men, berättelsen i sig är gripande och läsvärd - förstår att det inte var möjligt att få med ”den andra sidans perspektiv” - det kanske inte ville eller kunde låta sig berättas, men det hade varit intressant att även få veta hur tragedin slog även på de övriga som påverkades. Ett litet minus får den dock för att den kändes lite omständlig, gick som katten runt het gröt om vad som egentligen hänt - tog ganska lång tid att komma dit...
Men, berättelsen i sig är gripande och läsvärd - förstår att det inte var möjligt att få med ”den andra sidans perspektiv” - det kanske inte ville eller kunde låta sig berättas, men det hade varit intressant att även få veta hur tragedin slog även på de övriga som påverkades. Ett litet minus får den dock för att den kändes lite omständlig, gick som katten runt het gröt om vad som egentligen hänt - tog ganska lång tid att komma dit...
November 21, 2019
Väldigt läsvärd. Både berättelse och uppläsare var mycket bra. Det är en berättelsen Maria Bouroncles släkting, Ingeborg Andersson, som dränkte sina tre barn. En händelse som helt tystades ner inom släkten. Men nu får Ingeborgs historia liv genom Marias berättelse. Det är ett varmt och finstämt porträtt av Ingeborg, trots tragiken. Berättelsen varvar genom att följa Ingeborg i fängelse och på Restad sjukhus (en av de största psykiatriska inrättningarna i Sverige) med tillbakablickar från Ingeborgs liv före tragedin. En fin berättelse och ett intressant tidsdokument som rekommenderas varmt!
October 26, 2020
Vilken berörande bok, den ven var verkligen en läsupplevelse.
Jag har alltid vetat att jag älskar “sanna” böcker mer än helt uppdiktade. Och nu känner jag det än mer. Det blir så starkt, så hjärtekramande, så berörande och så fint att få ha läsa om sanna livsöden.
Det var verkligen rätt form för boken -fakta, uppdiktat och alla starkt berörande foton. Jag blev så starkt berörd… så jag fick nästan andnöd i bland när jag läste. Allt kom så nära, och frågorna hopade sig. Hoppas det blir en fortsättning i någon form.
Jag har alltid vetat att jag älskar “sanna” böcker mer än helt uppdiktade. Och nu känner jag det än mer. Det blir så starkt, så hjärtekramande, så berörande och så fint att få ha läsa om sanna livsöden.
Det var verkligen rätt form för boken -fakta, uppdiktat och alla starkt berörande foton. Jag blev så starkt berörd… så jag fick nästan andnöd i bland när jag läste. Allt kom så nära, och frågorna hopade sig. Hoppas det blir en fortsättning i någon form.
January 18, 2021
När jag läste boken kände jag mig förflyttad i tid och rum till de händelser och människor som beskrivs. Jag blev djupt tagen av Ingeborgs tragiska livsöde. Ingeborg skildras med stor respekt och äkthet. Det förstärks av att hon själv berättar om sina upplevelser i brev till maken Artur. Det märks att Maria Bouroncle lagt ner mycket stora möda på att fånga miljön i den lilla byn Vesene där Maria bor. Jag är själv uppfödd i Vesene och känner verkligen igen mig i den atmosfär som beskrivs.
December 13, 2022
Kirja kertoo Ingeborgin tarinan, mutta lopulta on mahdoton löytää yksiselitteistä vastausta siihen miksi näin kävi. Kirja on silti lukemisen arvoinen.
October 18, 2019
A very interesting and moving story about a woman who murdered her own children during a depressive episode and not what I expected going into this book. Only 4 stars because it described a lot of personal conversations that (no matter how good the source material is) the author could have no concrete way of knowing.
January 17, 2020
Fängslande och skrämmande berättelse om psykisk ohälsa och hur det fick tragiska följder för en familj i Vesene i Västergötland under påsken 1929. Rekommenderar varmt denna bok och om ni besöker Västergötlandsområdet så kan jag även rekommendera den historiska vandringen i Ingeborgs fotspår som finns att följa med på från tingshuset i Ljung. Platsen där ingeborg dömdes.
June 4, 2020
Maria Bouroncles debutbok handlar om hennes mormors syster Ingeborg.
Boken är en bladvändare. För trots att tårarna rinner i strid ström, så vill jag veta. Varför dränkte Ingeborg sina tre små barn i lakekaret?
Maria har gjort ett fantastiskt och genuint arbete! Hennes berättelse om Ingeborg berör så djupt i hjärtat! ❤️
Boken är en bladvändare. För trots att tårarna rinner i strid ström, så vill jag veta. Varför dränkte Ingeborg sina tre små barn i lakekaret?
Maria har gjort ett fantastiskt och genuint arbete! Hennes berättelse om Ingeborg berör så djupt i hjärtat! ❤️
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