Underdog

Johan Kraft lives with his mother Bodil and his clever, solitary sister Monika at Borgmästargården in Malmö, an early showpiece of Sweden's mass housing drive, its towers built high enough to catch every gust. Bodil works herself to the bone at a hosiery plant until it no longer needs her. Monika hides in books, Johan goes along with things, kicking at stones. The three of them are all they have; outside are social climbers, turncoats and people from other floors and other classes. The book follows a 1970s and 80s youth with little confidence and the best mother anyone could want, while the promises of the welfare state crumble.

AI-generated summary

About the book

Form

Novel

Length

398 pages in the original

Genres

Coming of age, Family (assigned by AI)

Set in

Sweden, 1970s–1980s

First published

2001 by Norstedts

Author's age

37 when first published

ISBN

9789113009681 (original)

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