Wonderful Women by the Sea
If you haven't heard of Monika Fagerholm before now, it's  probably because she writes in Swedish. Now that her first novel,Wonderful Women by the Seahas been published in the United  States, however, expect to hear more. Winner of two major Scandinavian  literary prizes, Fagerholm's novel has been deftly translated into English by  Joan Tate. The story centers on  two families who meet every year at the  same seaside enclave. It is told by Thomas, a small child when he first goes  to the sea with his parents, Isabella and Kayus, and meets Renee, the  daughter of Rosa and Gabriel. Renee's family has just returned from  America, and soon Isabella and Rosa become friends. Together they pore  over American magazines and speculate about the likes of Jackie Kennedy  and Elizabeth Taylor.As the summers roll by, these wonderful women are affected by changes in  the outside world: the women's movement, the violent student uprisings of  1968, the social and political upheaval that washes across the world like a  tidal wave. Soon the safe little world Thomas has always known will  disappear, never to be seen again.Wonderful Women by the Seapushes the boundaries of language and form, its wonderful vignettes  arranged with fine disregard for chronology. This is a sad book, but a  wonderful one, and Monika Fagerholm is definitely a name to remember.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.