About the Author

Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940) was probably one of the most well-known literary figures to have come out of Sweden. During her lifetime her stories and novels were read and enjoyed all over the world, particularly after she became the first woman to receive the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909. The essence of Lagerlöf's writings is certainly just as relevant today, however. Her works have powerful imagery and themes that make them universal and timeless. Also, as an avid supporter of causes such as women's rights and world peace, her thoughts and concerns are equally valid today. Selma Lagerlöf was born in the ancestral manor home of Mårbacka, in the province of Värmland in Sweden. Her childhood was marked by an illness that forced her to avoid strenuous activities but which opened up a world of stories and books instead. Of particular importance for her development as an author was the abundance of family legends and regional tales that her grandmother passed on to her, as well as the rich tradition of Nordic stories and mythology that surrounded her. It was a fantastic fairy tale world, in the midst of reality, that later came to have a great effect on her storytelling. Lagerlöf was a schoolteacher and wrote fiction on the side for ten years before she was able to support herself solely with her writing. Lagerlöf compiled many of her earlier short stories into a collection in 1894 under the heading Invisible Links. Using her personal narrative technique, even somewhat reminiscent of the old Icelandic tales, she depicts the Swedish people, their lives and struggles, through glimpses into their souls. The profound truth that comes across in her stories is the fact that people do not act according to opinions or principles, but are driven by inner irrational forces. Thus, in all our confrontations in life, our actions are always unpredictable. To the American audience, Selma Lagerlöf is perhaps best known and loved for her charming and imaginative storybooks The Wonderful Adventures of Nils and The Further Adventures of Nils, originally written in 1906-7 as texts for teaching Sweden's geography to schoolchildren. It is exciting that Penfield Books has taken the initiative to reintroduce the writings of this acclaimed Scandinavian author.