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Title:
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Hanna's Daughters |
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Authors:
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Fredriksson, Marianne |
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Genre:
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Fiction |
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Pages:
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360 |
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Year:
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1998 |
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Language:
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English |
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Description:
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In modern-day Stockholm, Anna discovers a sepia photograph of her grandmother as a young woman, quite unlike the cold, forbidding person she thinks she knows. Curiosity leads Anna to discover the realities of past generations. Translated from Swedish.
Comments from Groups: We had a great discussion around this book. So many issues: history, the status of women, independence/dependence, old ways and new, Swedish ways and history - all relating to NZ. A highly recommended book. Perhaps slow to start but becomes compelling. Christchurch 203 We liked this book. It told us a lot about the lives of women in twentieth century Sweden. There were similarities and differences to life in New Zealand at the same time. The characters were very believable with faults and strengths. Lower Hutt 004 An interesting discussion with very varied opinions. Most found the plot confusing with its back and forth scenarios and the similarity of the characters' names. Others enjoyed the philosophies and the descriptions of the countryside, but found the darkness of Hanna's life particularly bleak. Nelson 019 Everyone enjoyed the characters in the novel - they were well developed. We thought that maybe some of the flow of the book was lost in translation; the story also had a tendency to jump between characters. Overall, the book was well enjoyed. Piopio 001 We had possibly one of the best ever discussions, and it went on and on....about women oppressed in society; and the awfulness and lasting effects of rape on the individual, her family , descendants and community....Auckland 016 Several members commented that they found it 'hard going' at times and had to persevere to finish it. Others enjoyed it very much. A few found the similarity of the main characters' names confusing. None of us knew anything about early Scandinavian history, so found this aspect interesting. Gisborne 008 As always, a lively discussion. Members were interested in the comparison of life in Sweden for poorer people with the lives of pioneer women in New Zealand. We found the multiplicity of characters confusing at times, and also some passages - perhaps due to the translation. A book revealing of womens' lives at that time. Christchurch 009
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Categories:
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Fiction, Family Saga, Sweden, Blind Low Vision library |
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By: AUCK 009
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2025-04-07 11:57:48 |
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This book stimulated probably the longest discussion we have had regarding a book. Dark, depressing, hard to follow in places ( a lot of re-reading), and the translation could have been better. On the positive side, we all learnt a great deal about Scandinavian history. |
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By: AUCK 422
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2022-09-04 10:35:57 |
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We thought it was a pleasant enough read, and interesting time and place settings. However, we did not think it was particularly well written, and thought the author was trying too hard to make it deep and meaningful. |
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By: CHCH 198
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2021-08-30 14:14:03 |
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The group enjoyed this book, and discussion involved the different relationships, personalities and changes in lifestyles through time. Some people found it a fairly easy read, and others found it a little more challenging in terms of the detail in the book... |
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By: WINT 002
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2021-08-30 14:09:35 |
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Hanna's Daughters was a great success with our book club. We enjoyed reading about Hanna's struggle, however we were not that taken with Anna. We didn't think it was a feminist novel. |
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By: WELL 074
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2021-08-30 14:06:46 |
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We found this an interesting book, but rather gloomy. |
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By: CHCH 108
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2021-08-30 14:06:09 |
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Opinions varied. Interesting insight into Swedish life in the past. Several members enjoyed the book very much. |
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By: AUCK 085
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2021-08-30 14:04:30 |
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This was a confusing book, most found it awkward to read - getting Hanna, Johanna and Anna muddled up. We did not think it was an epic romance. The good or interesting aspect was the learning about the famines and the conflicts between Norway and Sweden. |
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By: AUCK 039
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2021-08-30 14:02:28 |
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All agreed it was an interesting and worthwhile book to read. Lots of discussion about women's issues through the generations. All were pleased to have read this book. |
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By: AUCK 060
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2021-08-30 13:59:34 |
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A hard book to read - confusing sorting out characters, but we all enjoyed reading about Norway and Sweden and learnt a lot. |
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By: DUNED 039
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2021-08-30 13:58:14 |
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Everyone enjoyed this, and we had a lively discussion of life as depicted by the book, how it has changed and how it mirrored life in NZ during the same time period, |
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By: SOUTH 001
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2021-08-30 13:55:08 |
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We all enjoyed this book. We found some strange translation terms and words, but on the whole it gave us great insight to the women's lives and their families. |
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By: KOHE 001
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2021-08-30 13:53:17 |
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The members of the group enjoyed the book, and found the discussion interesting. |
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By: WELL 130
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2021-08-30 13:49:35 |
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A complex read. Enjoyable - historical background, culture, war. Hard difficult lives. |
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By: CHCH 012
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2021-08-30 13:47:30 |
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Our group felt it was too long and the women were too full of angst. So many characters made the book confusing. On the other hand it was an interesting social history. Most of us knew nothing about Sweden and Norway in that earlier period. A map could have been helpful. |
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By: PAIHIA 003
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2021-08-30 13:44:43 |
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Interesting discussion about the differences in lives and men of the 3 generations of women. Some felt a little was lost in the translation at times. |
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By: MAPUA 001
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2021-08-30 13:43:04 |
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We all loved it. Such a great insight to the lives of women, and how things have changed so much over 3 generations. |
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By: OWAKA 001
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2021-08-30 13:41:20 |
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A challenging read. Interesting characters and vividly drawn landscapes. |
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