Definition of TEASER: "A short introductory advertisement for a product that stimulates interest by remaining cryptic." (Oxford Languages)
I just finished rereading (this time as audio book) a Swedish novel from 1995 by Vibeke Olsson, in Swedish entitled Molnfri bombnatt. ("Cloud Free Bombing Night")
It wasn't until afterwards, when I started searching for info about it in English, that I realised that neither this novel nor any others by Vibeke Olsson seem to have been translated to English. That surprised me - and really makes the enterprise of writing a review in English seem rather pointless...
I decided to go ahead anyway, though. (Leaving it up to you if you want to go on reading!)
Molnfri bombnatt (="Cloud Free Bombing Night") was first published in 1995, and the story keeps moving back and forth between 1993 and WWII.
In 1993, Hedwig Johansson is standing at her window, in Sweden, hearing skinheads on the street below chanting "Sieg Heil". This brings back memories for her of hearing the same words on a street in Mainz in Germany 60 years earlier; and she starts thinking back on her life.
Hedwig, born Maurer, was born and grew up in Germany. Her parents were social democrats, and her father got sent to a concentration camp, where he also died. Hedwig, however, found herself drawn to the national socialism, and also fell in love with an SS officer - Wilhelm. Wilhelm married another woman (of more "suitable" background for an SS officer); but he and Hedwig couldn't forget each other, and later got back together. Wilhelm was then stationed at Auschwitz, but did not tell Hedwig any details of his work there, and it was not until towards the end of the war that she learned the truth of what was going on in that camp. Wilhelm was gradually broken down by not only knowing, but also being part of it, though.
Hedwig and Wilhelm also got a daughter together, but she died very young. At the end of the war Hedwig got her own experiences of life in another concentration camp, Ravensbrück. But she survived, and after the war, she ended up moving to Sweden, where she married a kind and gentle Swedish man, Evert Johansson; and with time, they got to live a rather normal and happy life together, in Sweden. In 1993 when she is looking back at her life and summing things up, Evert too has died, though.
The book is a painful reminder of all the cruelties of the Nazi regime - and of war in general - but at the same time also a reminder that history, and war, is not all "black or white". All the people affected by it, and drawn into it one way or another, may not all be that easily classified as villains, heroes or victims.
I found I had to listen to this book mostly in the mornings, as it is definitely not suited as a "bedtime story". I did find it worth rereading this way, though; thinking of the wars going on in our own time, in for example in Ukraine and Gaza - and also other recently increased political tension between various countries.
So I wished to recommend others to read or re-read this novel as well ... But I'm afraid it seems that in order to do so, you would first have to spend quite a lot of time learning Swedish! Sorry!
