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April Witch

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 710 ratings · 68 reviews

Desiree is an April witch, clairvoyant and omniscient, traveling through time and space into the world denied her. "April Witch" created a furor upon its original publication in Sweden. Addressing themes of mother-daughter relationships, competition between women, and the failures of Sweden's postwar welfare state, it is a thrillingly written and fascinating story.

Paperback, 432 pages

Published March 11th 2003 by Random House Trade Paperbacks (first published 1997)

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Apr 15, 2008 Jeansue Libkind rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this best-selling, award-winning Swedish novel, five women encircle their lives. There is Ella, mother of Desirée and foster mother to Christina, Margareta and Birgitta. Desirée lies in a hospital bed, stricken with cerebral palsy and epilepsy since birth, mute and unmoving, but with a keen interest in the integrity of the universe and a capacity for out-of-body experience. Christina is the “good girl” whose birth mother is a fearsome hag and who determinedly succeeds. Margareta was left in a...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Eccentrika rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, drama, paranormal

Fin dalle prime pagine di lettura appare evidente che "Strega d'aprile" è un romanzo di livello superiore, adatto ai lettori più esigenti. La storia è complessa e multisfaccettata. Le protagoniste sono quattro donne che non hanno legami di sangue, che forse non si sarebbero mai conosciute se il fato non le avesse fatte incontrare. Hanno in comune un'infanzia dolorosa che le ha inaspettatamente connesse tra loro creando un complicato legame affettivo e facendole diventare "sorelle". Ed è attorno...more Fin dalle prime pagine di lettura appare evidente che "Strega d'aprile" è un romanzo di livello superiore, adatto ai lettori più esigenti. La storia è complessa e multisfaccettata. Le protagoniste sono quattro donne che non hanno legami di sangue, che forse non si sarebbero mai conosciute se il fato non le avesse fatte incontrare. Hanno in comune un'infanzia dolorosa che le ha inaspettatamente connesse tra loro creando un complicato legame affettivo e facendole diventare "sorelle". Ed è attorno alla loro vita che ruota tutto il romanzo, donando al lettore una storia carica di tensioni emotive e ricchi percorsi nei meandri della mente umana, tra drammi esistenziali, scomodi ricordi, invidie, amore e odio. Sono 500 pagine davvero intense, che ricoprono al presente uno spazio temporale di soli due giorni, due giorni in cui tutte e quattro le protagoniste saranno costrette dopo decenni a confrontarsi tra loro, ad andare indietro nel tempo per ricostruire la loro infanzia e dare una risposta alle domande in sospeso che hanno ottenebrato la loro vita fino da adulte.
Tra brevi e fugaci scorci di presente, e lunghe immersioni in uno scomodo passato, questo romanzo aggiunge un ulteriore elemento per rendere interessante la lettura: un curioso e tenue riflesso paranormale.
L'elemento paranormale, come da titolo, infatti c'è, ma non si amalgama completamente in tutta la storia. Caratterizza solo alcuni capitoli, gettando qua e là piccole sferzate di magia, senza mai prevaricare sulla tematica dei rapporti sociali che è e rimane la tematica fondamentale del libro. La "strega d'aprile" è una figura molto particolare e originale, della quale non avevo mai letto nulla in passato. Si tratta della capacità di librarsi con la mente dentro le menti altrui, umane o animali, appropriandosi del loro corpo per un periodo limitato avendo il pieno controllo di azioni e movimenti. Una delle quattro protagoniste possiede questa attitudine e se ne servirà in più occasioni, anche se non senza subirne le conseguenze.
Devo dire che la lettura di questo romanzo si è presentata piuttosto impegnativa, mi ha tenuto compagnia per una intera settimana. La trama è complessa, con parecchi concatenamenti, e per essere affrontata ha bisogno di piena tranquillità e concentrazione; non è proprio un libro da poter leggere alla spiaggia o sul treno affollato di gente! Ma fortunatamente io adoro leggere in completo relax staccando la spina con il resto del mondo e non è stato un problema. Come storia l'ho trovata molto interessante e originale e lo stile di scrittura maturo ed esaustivo dell'autrice mi ha completamente conquistata. Ne sono proprio rimasta soddisfatta, è una lettura che mi sento caldamente di consigliare. Unico piccolo neo è il finale un po' criptico e semi-aperto, del quale mi sarebbe piaciuto che gli fosse dedicata qualche pagina di spiegazione in più.(less)

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Apr 16, 2010 Stephanie Keil rated it 4 of 5 stars

April Witch

Majgull Axelsson (Translated by Linda Schenck)

I breezed through this 408 page novel in three days. Being who I am and knowing the plot of this book it is easy to understand why I devoured this book so voraciously. Originally published in Sweden in 1997, it won the coveted August Prize and created a stir in its home country, mostly due to its realistic and harsh description of Sweden’s post-war welfare state.

This book has much deeper topics to ponder than Swedish politics, though. The...more April Witch

Majgull Axelsson (Translated by Linda Schenck)

I breezed through this 408 page novel in three days. Being who I am and knowing the plot of this book it is easy to understand why I devoured this book so voraciously. Originally published in Sweden in 1997, it won the coveted August Prize and created a stir in its home country, mostly due to its realistic and harsh description of Sweden’s post-war welfare state.

This book has much deeper topics to ponder than Swedish politics, though. The book centers around Desiree, a severely disabled woman, unable to speak or walk or care for herself, who spends almost her entire life in a nursing home after being abandoned by her mother. But Desiree is not the vegetable she appears to be and was assumed to be in her early years: she has a great intellect, spending her hours musing on quantum physics, philosophy and “The Great Trickster’s” cruel joke he played upon her.

Desiree is also an “April Witch,” a being whom is trapped in a severely disabled body but who is able to travel through time and space, enter and take possession of other minds, both human and inhuman. Her psychic gifts allow her to pay supernatural visits to the three foster sisters that her mother adopted after abandoning her. The three sisters know nothing of her existence but Desiree has an intimate knowledge of theirs.

Desiree, overflowing with bitterness and envy because of her fate, is determined to discover which of her three sisters “stole” the life that she believes should have been hers. Upon further investigation it is revealed that their lives are no better or worse than hers: they are each filled with emotional troubles, longing and loneliness, just as much as, if not more so, than Desiree.

Desiree is considered to be nothing but “a piece of driftwood” by most who come into contact with her, a member of society who has no apparent value and who must be cared for by the government. The only person that has any sense of her extraordinary intellect and psychic gifts is her primary care doctor. Her relationship with her doctor is both intimate and professional: Desiree realizes that this doctor is the only person who has ever sought to understand her and who has ever desired a real relationship with her. The reality of her severe disabilities only feed into her loneliness when she is unable to have the relationship with him that she desires.

Approximately half of the book focuses on Desiree and the other half on the sisters, their past and the chain of events that leads to the surprising ending. Although this is a translation the prose is lush and lyrical, especially in passages where Desiree is musing about her own fate. The book challenges our views on our understanding of “quality of life,” right-to-life and multiple aspects of disability politics, particularly for those who are severely disabled.

While Desiree possess supernatural abilities her psychic gifts play a much more minimal role than expected in the book. The relationships between the characters and Desiree’s own musings about her fate play a far more important role in the unfolding of the story than the minor supernatural undertone.(less)

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Mar 08, 2010 Stacy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Read in the summer of 2003. I remember because I sat on my porch, drinking coffee and reading... until the porch light had to come on and then I switched to wine. I almost finished this in a weekend!
Desiree was abandoned at birth, a hideous child of disfigurement and riddled with birth defects (Cerebral Palsy). As she grows, Desiree becomes bitter to her 'three sisters' who she feels stole her life, as she was supposed to live it. The story is about Desiree and how even though she may not move,...more

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Dec 13, 2009 Ria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hoe sterk is de relatie tussen een moeder en haar drie pleegdochters als blijkt dat de moeder ook een kind van zichzelf heeft?[return][return]� Een van mijn zussen heeft het leven gestolen dat voor mij bestemd was. Ik wil weten wie.� Zo denkt de gehandicapte Desir

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May 21, 2012 Elisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Christina, Margareta, Birgitta e Desirée: quattro sorelle per caso, non di sangue.
Christina, Margareta e Birgitta: figlie di madri sbagliate, figlie non volute, abbandonate, maltrattate.
Desirée: figlia desiderata, come dice il nome. Figlia frutto d'amore, aspettata e sognata. Peccato che per le complicazioni del parto non è uscita fuori come Ellen, la madre, l'aveva immaginata. Desirée non era una bambina, ma solo un mostro. Un pezzo di legno alla deriva. Qualcosa da dimenticare, da cancellare...more Christina, Margareta, Birgitta e Desirée: quattro sorelle per caso, non di sangue.
Christina, Margareta e Birgitta: figlie di madri sbagliate, figlie non volute, abbandonate, maltrattate.
Desirée: figlia desiderata, come dice il nome. Figlia frutto d'amore, aspettata e sognata. Peccato che per le complicazioni del parto non è uscita fuori come Ellen, la madre, l'aveva immaginata. Desirée non era una bambina, ma solo un mostro. Un pezzo di legno alla deriva. Qualcosa da dimenticare, da cancellare dalla propria memoria, qualcosa da lasciar ammuffire in un istituto per gente come lei.
Ed è in un istituto che Desirée trascorre le sue giornate, paralizzata a letto, incapace di nutrirsi da sola, incapace di comunicare senza l'aiuto del computer che le ha fornito il dottor Hubertsson, unico uomo di rilievo e positivo di tutto il romanzo. Desirée ne è segretamente innamorata, se avesse avuto una vita normale sarebbe stato lui l'uomo che avrebbe amato, ma nella vita che si ritrova non può nemmeno amare, non come amano tutte le persone. Fisicamente Desirée è completamente annientata, senza la minima autonomia, ma possiede una grande intelligenza, che le permette di studiare la fisica quantistica, e speciali capacità paranormali. È una strega d'aprile, può vedere attraverso il tempo e fluttuare nello spazio, può nascondersi dentro gocce d'acqua e insetti con la stessa facilità con cui può prendere possesso degli esseri umani. Ed è grazie a questa sua straordinaria facoltà, oltre che per ciò che le ha raccontato il suo medico, che lei sa dell'esistenza e della vita delle sue tre sorelle. Margareta è la prima ad essere data in affidamento a zia Ellen, vedova borghese rimasta ormai sola. Era stata abbandonata alla nascita in una lavanderia, era sempre con un libro in mano e voleva davvero bene a zia Ellen, ma non la venerava come faceva Christina, la seconda arrivata in famiglia. Christina una madre ce l'aveva, Astrid, ma era una madre pazza e violenta che aveva tentato addirittura di darle fuoco. Era una bambina seria, che ubbidiva sempre rispettosamente ad Ellen, dedita alla pulizia e al ricamo, studiosa e lavoratrice, una bambina perfetta apparentemente. L'equilibrio viene rotto dall'ultima arrivata: Birgitta, figlia di una donna che riversa addosso a lei i suoi guai amorosi, sempre con bottiglie alcoliche nascoste sotto il letto. Birgitta è agitata e irrequieta, ama stare al centro dell'attenzione e questo provoca le antipatie delle sue sorelle.

Desirée vive da cinquant'anni da sola, adesso è in quell'istituto di Hubertsson e sa che è poco il tempo che le rimane da vivere, così, sfruttando le sue capacità paranormali fa arrivare alle tre sorelle, che conducono ormai vite separate e diverse, tre lettere che le faranno riflettere sul loro passato, su quel pezzo di vita che hanno vissuto insieme, su tutto quello che c'è stato prima e tutto ciò che c'è stato dopo. Lettere che, soprattutto, le farà rincontrare. Lo scopo di Desirée è scoprire quale delle tre sorelle ha vissuto la vita che avrebbe dovuto vivere lei, quale delle tre sorelle le ha rubato il destino. Desirée vuole vendicarsi.

Il romanzo è costituito da un continuo andare avanti e indietro nel tempo, ricordi delle quattro sorelle che si intrecciano e che vengono visti da punti di vista diversi. Solo due persone le uniscono: Ellen, madre naturale di Desirée e madre adottiva delle altre tre, e Hubertsson, che era in affitto da Ellen quando Christina, Margareta e Birgitta erano ancora piccine e che, adesso, ha uno strano rapporto con la sua paziente preferita, Desirée, appunto.

Passato e presente si intrecciano continuamente, in un intreccio coinvolgente davvero. Ci sono parti che fanno restare col fiato sospeso e non si capisce come andrà a finire fin quando non finisce.
Ho trovato questo romanzo bellissimo. Triste, toccante, pieno di suspence, di dolore, di speranze non realizzate. Pieno di segreti, di silenzi, di cose non dette che hanno logorato rapporti che in fondo potevano essere anche pieni d'amore. E invece sono solo colmi d'odio.(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Vika Ryabova rated it 4 of 5 stars

Тетя Эллен растит трех приемных детей - трех девочек примерно одного возраста - Маргарету, Кристину и Бригитту. Девочки очень разные, разные и их истории. Маргарета - найденыш, ее, новорожденную, подкинули в общественную прачечную, неизвестно, кто ее мать. Мать Кристины - психопатка и шизофреничка, она с рождения избивала и истязала дочь, переломала ей все пальцы на руках, а в пять лет привязала к кроватке и подожгла. С многочисленными ожогами ребенок был доставлен в больницу, затем отправлен в...more Тетя Эллен растит трех приемных детей - трех девочек примерно одного возраста - Маргарету, Кристину и Бригитту. Девочки очень разные, разные и их истории. Маргарета - найденыш, ее, новорожденную, подкинули в общественную прачечную, неизвестно, кто ее мать. Мать Кристины - психопатка и шизофреничка, она с рождения избивала и истязала дочь, переломала ей все пальцы на руках, а в пять лет привязала к кроватке и подожгла. С многочисленными ожогами ребенок был доставлен в больницу, затем отправлен в приют... и, к счастью, затем попал к Эллен. У Бригитты мать - алкоголичка, незамужняя официантка вполне развязного поведения. Бригитта - вся в нее. Девочку забрали у матери из-за нездорового образа жизни последней. Но Бригитта мечтает вернуться - и ненавидит Эллен и соцслужбы.

Никто из девочек не знает, что у Эллен тоже есть ребенок... от которого ей пришлось отказаться сразу в роддоме. В те времена в Швеции было принято забирать у родителей детей-инвалидов и запирать их подальше от взглядов общества. Девочка по имени Дезире бьется в почти постоянных эпилептических припадках, каждый из которых приближает ее к смерти. На данный момент она уже не может самостоятельно двигаться, разговаривает при помощи компьютера (дует в трубку). Но она - апрельская ведьма. Она умеет выходить из собственного тела и вселяться в любой живой и неживой объект. Живыми она может управлять. Причем она может одновременно находиться в нескольких местах.

Если вы ожидаете фэнтези - закройте книжку. Речь здесь не о путешествиях кастанедовского типа, а о детях-сиротах, детях-инвалидах, о том, как они платят за поступки родителей, что с ними происходит и как все это пронзительно-ужасно.

Волшебный дар Дезире здесь не для того, чтобы очаровать вас и ввести в страну фей. Это прием, при помощи которого мы все время следим за жизнью "сестер" Дезире ее глазами.

И Дезире намерена проучить своих сестер - ведь она уверена, что одна из них украла ее жизнь...(less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Anneth Strinnholm rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*** Varning för mindre spoilers ***

"En av mina systrar stal det liv som var avsett för mig. Jag vill veta vem.

Så tänker Desirée i sin sjukhussäng. Där har hon legat sedan femtiotalet och kan varken gå eller tala, men hon har andra gåvor. Som en gnista kan hon sitta i ögat på ett djur eller en människa och få den att föra henne dit hon vill. Se det hon vill se.

Fångad i vården, med personalens kvävande vänlighet omkring sig smider Desirée sina planer. Hon är inte vapenlös. Hon har sin skarpa hjärn...more *** Varning för mindre spoilers ***

"En av mina systrar stal det liv som var avsett för mig. Jag vill veta vem.

Så tänker Desirée i sin sjukhussäng. Där har hon legat sedan femtiotalet och kan varken gå eller tala, men hon har andra gåvor. Som en gnista kan hon sitta i ögat på ett djur eller en människa och få den att föra henne dit hon vill. Se det hon vill se.

Fångad i vården, med personalens kvävande vänlighet omkring sig smider Desirée sina planer. Hon är inte vapenlös. Hon har sin skarpa hjärna och sin aprilhäxe-förmåga. Vaksamt följer hon sina tre systrars liv. De vet inte om att hon finns. Men Desirée vet hur hon ska träda in i deras liv..."

Baksidestexten till denna bok ger på sätt och vis en missvisande bild av handlingen. Jag förväntade mig en bok där vår huvudpersons förmågor skulle ligga i förgrunden. Det låg något mycket kusligt i att föreställa sig att Desirée ligger orörlig och dreglande i sin sjuksäng men ändå använder sina krafter för att hämnas på sina "systrar". I boken används dock förmågorna relativt sparsamt, och egentligen mest som ett berättartekniskt grepp så att Desirée (och läsaren) förmår se vad som händer i fostersystrarnas liv.

Desirées mor Ellen övergav sin dotter efter födseln eftersom dottern var gravt handikappad. Dock fick hon sedan vårdnaden om tre flickor som var och en kom från riktigt svåra hemförhållanden. Det är dessa flickor som Desirée är bitter och avundsjuk på, men inte heller här stämmer baksidestexten särskilt bra. Ganska snart inser Desirée nämligen att fostersystrarna inte stulit något alls från henne, systrarna brottas på sina egna sätt med livet och kanske är det egentligen Desirée som levt det mest meningsfulla livet av dem alla, trots sin fysiska ofullkomlighet?

Boken berättar om både Desirée och de tre fostersystrarna och handlingen följer helt enkelt deras respektive uppväxter och liv. Det är inga glada berättelser som vi får läsa, men de är ärliga och gripande. Teman som löper genom berättelserna är relationen mellan mor och dotter, om jakten på kärlek och bekräftelse och om hur det svenska folkhemmet valde att sopa alla avvikande individer under mattan.

Det jag saknar mest med boken är att den stegras mot en sorts upplösning, som egentligen faller platt på bokens sista sidor. Vad har Desirée för plan egentligen, vad är det hon vill åstadkomma? Lyckas hon? Bryr hon sig egentligen i slutet?

Språket är njutbart och jag rekommenderar boken till alla som vill ha en annorlunda läsupplevelse.(less)

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May 03, 2010 Tom rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ella, whose pelvis was malformed (unknown to her, and apparently to her obstetrician) by achildhood of malnutrition, tries to give birth to a child in Motala, Sweden, near Stockholm. By the time the baby, Desiree, is born, she (the baby) has suffered brain damage. Following the custom of the times, A guilt-ridden Ella consigns Desiree to an institution and tries to forget about her.
Although she suffers from brain damage (affecting the muscular control centers, not the intelligence centers), ce...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Kasia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I heard in the radio, when the presenter was talking that Majgull Axelsson is her favorite writer. She had so emotional attitude towards this Swedish author that i knew that I have to read it. Absolutely no disappointment. The story is intriguing from the first moment, pace of action constructed skillfully and the history itself... i think that i still have to spent some more time with 4 sisters whose life was told in the book. Interesting parts for me was picture of Sweden. From the polish perf...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Molly Moblo Perusse rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oddly redeeming story about how kids with twisted upbringings get through their adult lives. One particularly great paragraph caught my eye:
"Bitterness is an ancillary disease. It afflicts those who have not been allowed to grieve properly. And I have lived in an era when grief was not acknowledged, in a time when people looked for problems instead. Problems are easier to deal with, they can be solved, whereas grief must be endured. More over, grief is contagious and frightens others, and so th...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Christina rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: borrowed, german

Das Buch war laaaaaangweilig. Es ist nichts passiert. Gut, Birgitta eine verlogene, drogensüchtige, alkoholabhängige Hure, Christina eine Ärztin und Margareta eine Physikerin. Passiert. In jeder Familie gibt es schwarze Schafe. Ich mag ja grundsätzlich eher leichte Lektüre, habe mir von diesem aber viel versprochen, vor allem, da ich im beruflichen Umfeld „das ist ein super Buch“ gehört habe. Was ist denn der Sinn des Buches? Die behinderte Desirée ist eifersüchtig auf ihre drei Halbschwestern,...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Margaret Massop rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aprilheks is een goed geschreven boek, vol met symbolische woordspelingen en gebeurtenissen. Het is boeiend hoe één werkelijkheid door verschillende personen ervaren wordt. Het bovennatuurlijke tintje maakt het ook nog eens origineler dan vergelijkbare boeken.

Als ik een minpunt moet noemen is het de foto op de cover van de editie die ik heb. Ik kan me er echt aan storen dat die niet klopt met het boek. Het boek gaat over drie pleegzusjes, waar inderdaad een keer een zwartwit foto van gemaakt wor...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Witch'sCat rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book started out quite boring for me...though when I started getting to know the characters and as some answers were answered, it got a bit more interesting :) You can guess that the character I liked the most was Desiree because she proved to be so strong and willing. She simply decided to ignore her physical problems and overcome them with her psyche. Very inspiring!

Though I have to critisize the storyline. The fact that there are so many stories and that they switch so rapidly can be quit...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Carmen Gwazdacz rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am about to recommend a book that is so different I don’t know how to review it. It is nothing like have ever read. There is no comparative literature. This is a standalone novel. Although it takes place in Sweden post World War II, it reads as a contemporary novel. Many of the themes in the book easily translate into current American issues. This is a highly ambitious novel that covers many different aspects of post modern life contemporary life that do not at first seem to be related. The st...more I am about to recommend a book that is so different I don’t know how to review it. It is nothing like have ever read. There is no comparative literature. This is a standalone novel. Although it takes place in Sweden post World War II, it reads as a contemporary novel. Many of the themes in the book easily translate into current American issues. This is a highly ambitious novel that covers many different aspects of post modern life contemporary life that do not at first seem to be related. The story line revolves around a severally disabled woman abandoned by her mother a birth and left to grow up in institutional care and the three women that this mother takes in as foster children after the abandonment. The disabled daughter, Desiree, is an April Witch, described as one in weak in body but strong in mind who possesses powers that enable out of body experiences. She is a benandante, one who can travel between dreams and reality. Desiree uses these special powers to follow her foster sisters through life, but she never interferes with the path they chose to take pivotal moments even though some of those choices are disastrous. The sisters know nothing of Desiree, but she knows much about them. Yet, despite this supernatural aspect, this book never delves into the science fiction realm. It is a very real book about real women in post modern society. The metaphysical aspect is only the backdrop for more concreted issues such as mother daughter relationships, what is the definition of disabled, the right to life, addiction, God versus science, free will, humanism, what is family, the pros and cons of socialism, and love. The book began slowly but once I got into it, I found Axelsson created highly developed and muti dimensional characters. They were not always likable, but I really cared about them. I found it interesting that Axelsson chose to tell the story of the four sisters in first person but that of the mother only in third person. I wanted to know more about what drove the mother to make certain choices, but it is left up to the reader to decide based on the narrative of the daughters. The book is translated into English from Swedish and other reviews have called it lyrical. I only found this partially true. Although the story can take on a dreamy feel, I found the language to be blunt, harsh, and graphic, but necessarily so. It was not always easy to read and I feel it only fair if I recommend this book to also warn of graphic language that may offend some. The story got under my skin and left me with much contemplation. For one looking for something different, this would be an excellent choice. I loved this book although I cannot find the right words to sufficiently describe it. It is a book that I will read again.(less)

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Oct 20, 2011 Elsje rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2003

Het verhaal
Zwaar lichamelijk gehandicapte baby (Desiree) wordt bij de geboorte afgestaan door haar moeder. Dat was in de jaren '50 heel normaal. Ze slijt haar leven in diverse ziekenhuizen. Haar moeder neemt daarna drie meisjes in huis, alledrie met een belast verleden. De gehandicapte dochter ontdekt dat ze, door haar 'geest' met vogels mee te laten vliegen, dit wordt een Aprilheks genoemd. Op deze wijze kan ze haar 'zussen' bespionneren. Ze wil er per se achterkomen welke zus het voor haar bes...more

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Feb 10, 2009 Perri rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was disappointed that, in the end, the long build-up of interlocking storylines did not amount to much. It would not have been as disappointing if there hadn't been hints magic, leading one to believe that there was some surprise just a few pages ahead. While it was interesting to see how each of the three sisters perceived themselves, how they thought of each other, and how their circumstances influenced them, ultimately that could have been done without the promise of revealing some larger s...more

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May 06, 2013 Suvi Leskinen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: pienempikuinkolme

Aivan huikaiseva! Älkää missään nimessä jumiutuko takakannen tekstiin, ei se minustakaan niin kovin paljon luvannut. Axelssonin tapa kertoa todella tempaa mukaansa, tätä ei meinannut pystyä laskemaan käsistään. Henkilöhahmojen ei näköjään tarvitse olla samaistuttavia, jotta niiden elämään voisi hukkua. Tämä kirja on kuin romanssi. Sen ei halua loppuvan, ja kun se loppuu, siitä ei halua laskea irti. Ja jos siitä lopulta päästääkin irti, ei sitä voi kuitenkaan unohtaa.

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Aug 30, 2012 Penny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Amazing and unusual view point which creates its readers interest and holds it. The protagonist is a quadropallegic living vicariously thru evening transcendental escapades to reveal the lives of her unknown sisters. Very well plotted and thought out. Sociological and Psycholigical insights of all the characters lives culminates in a mellow but very significant climax of self discovery and realization.

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May 27, 2011 Paraskevi Oppio rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am undecided between giving this 3 or 4 stars. Neither reflects this book well; as i said, I think that the rating system should be revised and put on 10. This book definitely deserves 7/10. I did not just like it, there was something there... something with which I identified.

My copy is the greek translation, which is not present in goodreads database, and I do not have it handy at the moment.

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Sep 18, 2011 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

Strange story of a woman with cerebral palsy who travels with astro projection into birds and people. She talks of the three foster sisters that her birth other cared for after institutionalizing her at birth. all are dysfunctional to varying degrees and don't know about Astrid. I liked it at first, the writing was excellent, but it was a chore to finish.

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Jan 24, 2010 Aphie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature

A little slow to begin with, and teasingly lacking that crescendo of neat little stories all being wrapped up together at the end, this is a beautifully written, fascinating study of women and their relationships with themselves and each other - especially their mothers. I really enjoyed this book, I thik i'll be mulling it over for some time.

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Nov 24, 2010 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

read a while back. Translated from swedish which give it a different flavor as well as the story which is really different. I am not sure if i should give 4-5 stars as I don't remember it well enough just that I did like it and that it was very unique

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Jun 09, 2012 Rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars

This one was quite strange. It was good, but not great, I thought. I had a hard time liking any of the characters, but it was a convincing (and damning) insight into the possible life of people with multiple, profound disabilities.

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Nov 26, 2012 Andrei Muchnik rated it 5 of 5 stars

A must read for all lovers of the Swedish noir. Very dark, but beautiful at the same time. This book has many subplots and the denouement won't leave anyone indifferent.

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Mar 27, 2012 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars

I could have gone without reading this one. The prose style is very intelligent, but I suppose I was in the mood for something more fantastic, and I didn't get it.

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Aug 08, 2010 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 28, 2009 Jennifer Manley added it

Loved it. Wonderfully written. Unusual premise.Fleshed out characters. Satisfying end. What more could you want?

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May 07, 2009 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was well written and kept me reading out of suspense. I was always waiting for something to happen and it just never did. It could have been better than what it was.

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Jul 29, 2011 Stefanie Tydén added it · review of another edition

den var ganska tuff tycker jag, svårt att glömma, väldigt bra skriven

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About Majgull Axelsson

Majgull Axelsson (b. 1947) is a famous Swedish journalist and writer. She grew up in Nässjö and had education in journalism.

Her first book was non-fiction, and focused on the problems of child prostitution and street children in third world, and poverty in Sweden. April Witch is her second novel, and one that was well-received in Sweden. With over 200,000 copies sold in hardcover, it landed on sev...more

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Quotes from April Witch

“Only the most ignorant still believe, like Saint Augustine, that time is a river. We others know it is a delta: that it branches out and seeks new routes, that it rejoins itself only to seek a thousand new courses. Some may be waterfalls, some no more than little stagnant pools passed by the tide, forever still...

This is one of those times. A pool. I sink down in it. I want to stay forever in this water.” — 3 people liked it

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