"Agneta Pleijel writes a painful yet humorous autobiographical novel about childhood in the aftermath of World War II. A prophecy is received by a beloved aunt, a prophecy that her young niece eagerly waits to see fulfilled. The story takes place in the 1950s in the suburbs of Stockholm, in the university town of Lund, and in the United States. Neta's childhood is in disarray. She reads -- words give form to the vagueness of existence -- and is busy thinking about the female sex, family, and the stupendous diversity of people in the world. Her father, a mathematician, and her mother, a musician, are in constant conflict, but she loves them both. Gradually Neta realizes that she's grown up in a lie and that she must step carefully through the war zone of her parents' marriage. This is an insightful tale about the search for truth, morality, and a place of your own in the world"--

"The story takes place in the 1950s in the suburbs of Stockholm, in the university town of Lund, and the United States. Neta's childhood is dominated by geographical movements. She reads -- words give form to the vagueness of existence -- and is often busy thinking about the female sex, family, and the stupendous diversity of people in the world. Her dad, a mathematician, and her mom, a musician, are very different from each other. They are in constant conflict, but she loves them both. Slowly she realizes that she's grown up in a lie. She must carefully tread through the war zone that her parents' marriage is increasingly turning into"--