Embers by Sándor Márai

Embers by Sándor Márai

Summary of Embers   “Embers” by Sándor Márai is a novel about an elderly general who lives in an isolated castle in the woods, and his visitor, a former best friend whom he hasn’t seen in over 40 years. Through their evening dinner conversations, it becomes clear...
Blackwater by Kerstin Ekman

Blackwater by Kerstin Ekman

Summary of Blackwater   Annie Raft discovers two corpses in a tent and sees a boy fleeing the scene. Many years later, she recognises her daughter’s lover as the same boy. Before she can alert the police, another murder occurs. Reasons to read Blackwater  ...
The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson

The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson

Summary of The True Deceiver    Katri lives in a remote, snowbound village with her simple-minded brother Mats and their dog. She befriends Anna, an older, affluent illustrator of children’s books. Before long, Katri and Mats move in with Anna, and the two women...
Three Chestnut Horses by Margita Figuli

Three Chestnut Horses by Margita Figuli

Summary of Three Chestnut Horses   In a mountain village in Slovakia, Peter proposes to his childhood sweetheart, Magdalena. However, her mother has already promised her to Jano, a wealthy but cruel farmer. Magdalena tells Peter she will marry him if he can prove...
The Way of a Serpent by Gustav Torgny Lindgren

The Way of a Serpent by Gustav Torgny Lindgren

Summary of The Way of a Serpent    “The Way of a Serpent” is a short, dark novel about a poor peasant family in Sweden at the end of the 19th century. The story’s narrator is in debt to a man who takes advantage of his situation by abusing the women in his...