Desirée lies in a hospital bed thinking, dreaming. Born severely disabled, she cannot walk or talk, but she has other capabilities. Desirée is an April witch, clairvoyant and omniscient, traveling through time and space into the world denied her. The woman who gave Desirée up at birth subsequently took in three foster daughters, who know nothing of the existence of their fourth “sister.” Sensing that her own time is short, Desirée has decided that one of the others has lived the life she herself deserved. One day, each of the three women receives a mysterious letter that forces her to examine her past and her present—setting in motion a complex fugue of memory, regret, and confrontation that builds to a shattering climax. April Witch created a furor upon its original publication in Sweden. Addressing themes of mother-daughter relationships, competition between women, and the failures of Sweden’s postwar welfare state, it is foremost a thrillingly written and fascinating story.
Author
Majgull Axelsson (b. 1947) is a famous Swedish journalist and writer. She grew up in Nässjö and had education in journalism. Her first book was non-fiction, and focused on the problems of child prostitution and street children in third world, and poverty in Sweden. April witch is her second novel, and one that was well received in Sweden. With over 400,000 copies sold in hardcover, It landed on several bestsellers lists for months and received important Swedish literature awards including the Moa Martinsson Prize Jörgen Eriksson's Prize and Augustpriset. It addresses themes of mother-daughter relationships, competition between women, and the failures of Sweden's postwar welfare state. Axelsson lives with her husband on Lidingö. (From wikipedia.org.)
