Sweetwater, by the distinguished Norwegian writer Knut Faldbakken, is the sequel to the widely acclaimed Twilight Country. When Jonathan Bean of the Peacekeeping Force goes in search of his brother, listed as missing, his life takes a sudden and dramatic turn. Trapped by the inhabitants of the Dump, repository of Sweetwater's rubbish, he becomes part of their lives. These people, former citizens of Sweetwater who escaped the city with certain ideals, have by now deteriorated, physically and morally. War and deprivation have taken their toll and the struggle for survival leads them to desperate acts. We follow their fortunes as they are driven back to their ravaged civilization. Knut Faldbakken portrays unflinchingly the behaviour of people in a disintegrating society against an unforgettable landscape of decay and collapse.
Faldbakken studied psychology at Oslo University, and then worked as a journalist. He visited a number of countries, working variously as a bookkeeper, sailor, and factory worker, and began writing books in 1967 while living in Paris.