German cover:
Wo der Elch begraben liegt
(Frida Fors, #1)
by Carin Hjulström
I bought this book second-hand (German, in paperback format) from a student who donated her day’s earnings to Doctors Without Borders. My review is in English; I wrote the English plot description.
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4.5 stars)
Plot (English)
(by Karen O.)
A journalism student, a town in the middle of nowhere, and a lot of complexities.
Young journalist to be, Frida Fors, is assigned a traineeship at the editorial office of a local newspaper in Småland. Due to the lack of intriguing topics, she uses a little note from a newsticker as a headline: »Bruseryd to be removed from the map!« This starts a turbulent chain of events; her interviews reveal unanticipated tidbits not only of rural life.
Plot (German)
(by Goodreads)
Eine Journalistin, ein Provinznest und jede Menge turbulenter Verwicklungen
Die junge Journalistin Frida Fors verschlägt es in die Lokalredaktion eines müden Provinzblatts in Småland. Mangels spannender Themen macht sie aus einer kleinen Randnotiz aus dem Newsticker eine Meldung: »Bruseryd von der Landkarte gestrichen!« Doch das lassen sich die starrsinnigen Bewohner des Kaffs nicht bieten. Sie versuchen, neue Einwohner für ihr verschlafenes Nest anzuwerben – mit ungewöhnlichen Mitteln. Und Frida macht die Schlagzeilen ihres Lebens …
Swedish cover:
Finns inte på kartan
(Frida Fors, #1)
by Carin Hjulström
Plot (Swedish)
(by Goodreads)
Frida Fors besvikelse är stor när hon får praktikplats på Smålandsbladets lokalredaktion i Bruseryd, istället för på någon av de större tidningarna i storstan. Men mot sin vilja blir hon indragen både i sina medarbetares och bybornas personliga öden och växer som människa genom att hjälpa andra.
“Finns inte på kartan” är en charmig och engagerande roman om kärlek, vänskap och hur det är att leva på en liten ort som hotas av avfolkning.
| Genre(s): | > Romantic Comedy > Literature & Fiction |
| Series: | Frida Fors, #1 |
| Length: | Swedish: 311 pages German: 417 pages |
| Release date: | Swedish: 2009-09-02 German: 2011-06-21 |
Teaser (in German)
Mats blickte Frida mit einem müden Ausdruck an. “Was Annika wohl zu sagen versucht, ist, dass wir hier mehr nach der Kajsa-Warg-Methode arbeiten; man nimmt, was man hat, und versucht, etwas daraus zu machen. Grabe dort, wo du dich befindest, und sei froh, wenn du etwas findest, worüber du schreiben kannst.”
“Think global, act local”, ergänzte Kalle.
My Opinion
This book introduces you to Frida Fors, a young journalism student, who is assigned – against her will – to a newspaper in the middle of nowhere.
With “Wo der Elch begraben liegt” / “Finns inte på kartan”, Carin Hjulström presents us with the first book in the “Frida Fors” series, a fun story of a young woman who misses life in the big city and needs to come to terms with her assignment. The story is nicely elaborated, comprises interesting turns and characters, and has a good flow. Carin Hjulström introduces each character with care, providing them with sufficient depth for their respective relevance. I was drawn into the story right away – very close to Frida and her quest. As I am very fond of Sweden and the Swedes, I recognised the character traits and customs, enjoying the humorous background. I could easily envision the characters and locations. I had a great time reading “Wo der Elch begraben liegt”. It is a very enjoyable read; I would love to read the original version and to continue reading the series.
This is for you if you like contemporary fiction with a touch of romance and a subtle humour, very likeable and authentic characters, and good storytelling.
Recommended.
In brief:
| Cover | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (German cover: four stars) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (Swedish cover: three stars) |
| Writing | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (four stars) |
| Plot | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (five stars) |
| Characters | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (five stars) |
| Mood | Suspenseful |
| Pace | Steady |
| POV | Third person – past tense |
| Language |  (decent enough) |
| Violence | (none) |
| Sexual content | 😳 (some kisses and mentions; not too detailed activities) |
About the author
Karin Astrid Maria Hjulström, better known as Carin Hjulström, is a Swedish television presenter, journalist and author. She is one of Sweden’s most known television presenters and has presented shows such as “Melodifestivalen”, “Carin 21:30” and “Mun över bord”.
Hjulström was born in Örgryte, Gothenburg to a school teacher and an actor & director. At the age of twelve, she landed a main role in the radio Christmas show “Frida och farfar” (English: “Frida and grandfather”). During high school, she studied natural science.
Connect with the Author:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4473545.Carin_Hjulstr_m
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarinHjulstrom
Amazon: Carin Hjulström
Please take a look at my statement on reading in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂
My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about “Finns inte på kartan”/ “Wo der Elch begraben liegt”? Or – if you did not yet read “Finns inte på kartan” / “Wo der Elch begraben liegt” – are you now interested in reading it yourself?
I am looking forward to reading your comments. 🙂
My train of thoughts on... 