Sweden's Dark Soul

'Kajsa Norman's account of Sweden's real-life hypocrisy and contradictions is subtler and more gripping than any thriller. . . the author's outrage bubbles from the page . . . [a] lucid and insightful book.' * The Times * 'This hard-hitting book is permeated by a deep sense of disillusionment . . . [Norman is] a powerful writer.' * The Guardian * 'Norman has turned a reporter's gaze on her home country . . . [revealing] a conspiracy of silence by an establishment anxious not to lift the lid on the growing cultural tensions.' * The Financial Times * 'Richly informative . . . fascinating.' * Literary Review * '[Norman's account of] the ongoing influence of the country's totalitarian social democratic origins [is] interesting and original.' -- Times Literary Supplement As compelling as Swedish noir . . . [Norman's] incisive study mesmerises, amazes, shocks.' * The Hindu * 'Written in the best tradition of Stieg Larsson, but with the difference that everything here is real, Sweden's Dark Soul vividly describes all that's nasty about the welfare state, from racism and psychopathic bureaucracy to media cover-ups of atrocities against children.' * The Telegraph India * Thought-provoking . . . Norman shows why it takes courage to speak the truth in a country with the world's oldest free press . . . her book deserves our attention.' * Acton Institute * 'What happens to a society when national virtue-seeking becomes institutionalised, and the country's image and ideology become more important than its individuals? What happens to national debates when the media ceases to publish stories deemed too controversial? Sweden's Dark Soul is not a comfortable read, but it is an important one.' * Sigrid Rausing, publisher and editor of Granta * '[Kajsa Norman offers] fresh perspectives on what the world is really like.' * Henning Mankell, social critic and author * Sweden is often held up as a thriving, rich democracy that other nations aspire to replicate. Weaving together history with fascinating personal narratives, Kajsa Norman shines a light into the hidden darkness lurking at the edges of Swedish society and the oppressive groupthink that threatens to eclipse its enduring brightness. * Brian Klaas, University College London, author of 'The Despot's Apprentice' * Praise for the author: '[Kajsa Norman offers] fresh perspectives on what the world is really like.' - Henning Mankell, social critic and author