All I Want (Allt jag vill ha)

Lotta Lundberg

 

A wake is in progress in Belfast. Lying in the casket on the table is Sofia’s father, the admired and controversial mediator of the peace process on Ireland. Why did he die and who is he? And why did he wait fifteen years before getting in touch?

There are many questions that come to Sofia when, as a teenager, she travels to Ireland. She has grown up with a single mother in rational Sweden; now she meets a bewildering mix of politics, religion and tradition in the lives of the people of the village Ballyvoreen.

And with her relatives in Belfast. She has the chance to live and work with pub owner Mrs., who keeps an eye on everything that happens in the village, and she helps out with Dr. Maloney, who runs a bed and breakfast, loves opera and teaches her to pray. She becomes friends with Sally, whose brother is in prison, and Sean, the butcher’s son who dreams of becoming a poet.

With warmth and insight, Lotta Lundberg portrays a young person’s adventures and definitive experiences. How do you become yourself, Sofia wonders, surrounded by all these contradictory ways of living? And are we responsible for those we belong with?

 

340 pages

 

Rights sold

Sweden: Albert Bonnier (Hardcover)

 

Reviews

 “She has a voice all her own. Lotta Lundberg: sometimes she’s boldly girlish, at other times cheeky if not outright daring, and in between she’s overwhelmingly vulnerable and gentle. Yet the story about Sofia is consoling, almost edifying, because ultimately it is about insight and maturity and eventually being able to accept and to forgive.”
Sydsvenska Dagbladet

“All I want is a first-rate novel. Lotta Lundberg writes with insight and compassion, she combines her clear-sighted psychology with a social theme. Her language flows easily –dangerously easy. It is easy to slip past her words and allow the author’s skill to result in a read that is somewhat superficial. However, it is well worth giving her choice of language a little more time; it opens new depths, it unveils new experiences. “
Svenska Dagbladet

“In addition, Lundberg’s use of language sparkles at times with unexpected word choices, and she is also funny.”
Borås Tidningen

“Lotta Lundberg shows us how the story of ourselves, which Sofia seeks and finds, can help us overcome the difficulties we face in life, both privately and in a larger social context.”
Bibliotekstjänst

“Lotta Lundberg has truly succeeded with All I Want and shows that she is an excellent novelist.”
Arbetarbladet

“It is a touching story that continually develops. Those who thought that Swedish contemporary novels were about young men in filthy flats are presented with an adventure to get caught up in. Its major achievement is its ability to portray a young person in a simple and moving way and at the same time develop a complex historical chain of events.”
Norrköpings Tidningar.

“This un-trendy interpretation of tradition versus modernity, yes, the entire sense of belonging and identity as well as the meaning of longing, deeply inspires respect.”
Bohuslänningen med Dals Dagblad

“In All I Want, Lotta Lundberg shows she has a reliable command of language, a practised style. She has found her way home. Her portrayal of life in a small Irish village is penetrating and real. With vivid insight she characterizes Sofia’s longing, her pain and shortcomings, and not least her duality. The beer flows, the language sings and life is not as simple as it could be.”
Helsingborgs dagblad

“In her most recent novel Lotta Lundberg shows another side of herself as a writer – that she is humorous. All I Want is most surprisingly a very entertaining book, despite its dark undertone; it presents a rich cast of colourful characters, just like a true Irish story. As in her first novel, Let Happen,  All I Want also has the same amazing ability to strike the right tone, the same instinctive feeling for the emotional lives of girls and young women. The narrative voice consistently stems from the girl’s perspective; even the at times erratic teenage language feels natural and authentic, which, if the truth be told, is quite an accomplishment.“
Upsala Nya tidning

“The language in All I Want is open, vital and accessible: Lundberg dares trust her storyline without hiding behind any stylistically chic tone or unusual experimentation. And, in this case, why shouldn’t she? A novel so well written and with such psychological credibility, containing such rich insights, wins a lot in its simplicity – depicting the characters is another area that Lotta Lundberg really masters. In particular the portrait of Sofia and her inner conflicts feels realistic and genuine but also the gallery of other protagonists are drawn with intense care, it doesn’t matter how small a role the person has in the story. They soon stop being characters in a book and become people of flesh and blood, people to get involved with. Lotta Lundberg has written an excellent novel which brings interesting questions to the surface in a naked and very committed way. Added to this, she masters the difficult skill of telling a good story. Read it and enjoy.”
Sundsvalls Tidning

“There is a lot of courage and drive in Lotta Lundberg’s latest novel. Quite a number of threads have to be woven together, yet Lotta Lundberg manages to keep track of them all.”
Katrineholms Kuriren

”A very complex novel about becoming a grown-up.”
Dagens Nyheter

“It is not only Lotta Lundberg’s best novel so far, it is something as unusual as a book for grownups about becoming a grownup.”
Bonniers Litterära Magasin