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Girl from the Marsh Croft: And Other Stories
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
- GenresShort Stories
162 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1997
About the author
Selma Lagerlöf
1,423 books719 followersSelma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (1858-1940) was a Swedish author. In 1909 she became the first woman to ever receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings". She later also became the first female member of the Swedish Academy.
Born in the forested countryside of Sweden she was told many of the classic Swedish fairytales, which she would later use as inspiration in her magic realist writings. Since she for some of her early years had problems with her legs (she was born with a faulty hip) she would also spend a lot of time reading books such as the Bible.
As a young woman she was a teacher in the southern parts of Sweden for ten years before her first novel Gösta Berling's Saga was published. As her writer career progressed she would keep up a correspondance with some of her former female collegues for almost her entire life.
Lagerlöf never married and was almost certainly a lesbian (she never officially stated that she was, but most later researchers believe this to be the case). For many years her constant companion was fellow writer Sophie Elkan, with whom she traveled to Italy and the Middle East. Her visit to Palestine and a colony of Christians there, would inspire her to write Jerusalem, her story of Swedish farmers converting into a evangelical Christian group and travelling to "The American Colony" in Jerusalem.
Lagerlöf was involved in both women issues as well as politics. She would among other things help the Jewish writer Nelly Sachs to come to Sweden and donated her Nobel medal to the Finnish war effort against the Soviet union.
Outside of Sweden she's perhaps most widely known for her children's book Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige (The Wonderful Adventures of Nils).
Born in the forested countryside of Sweden she was told many of the classic Swedish fairytales, which she would later use as inspiration in her magic realist writings. Since she for some of her early years had problems with her legs (she was born with a faulty hip) she would also spend a lot of time reading books such as the Bible.
As a young woman she was a teacher in the southern parts of Sweden for ten years before her first novel Gösta Berling's Saga was published. As her writer career progressed she would keep up a correspondance with some of her former female collegues for almost her entire life.
Lagerlöf never married and was almost certainly a lesbian (she never officially stated that she was, but most later researchers believe this to be the case). For many years her constant companion was fellow writer Sophie Elkan, with whom she traveled to Italy and the Middle East. Her visit to Palestine and a colony of Christians there, would inspire her to write Jerusalem, her story of Swedish farmers converting into a evangelical Christian group and travelling to "The American Colony" in Jerusalem.
Lagerlöf was involved in both women issues as well as politics. She would among other things help the Jewish writer Nelly Sachs to come to Sweden and donated her Nobel medal to the Finnish war effort against the Soviet union.
Outside of Sweden she's perhaps most widely known for her children's book Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige (The Wonderful Adventures of Nils).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 28, 2025
“The Girl From the Marsh Croft” - Even though Helga’s baby was being raised by her parents almost exclusively, a love story with an unwed mother at the center is pretty progressive! I enjoyed it. Also, I like to think that if Gudmund had murdered a man in a drunken stupor, it would’ve been the father of her child.
“The Silver Mine” - I love a good story within a story.
“The Airship” - WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME, SELMA??
“The Wedding March” - When you’re trying to get married and the musicians won’t stop competitively humble bragging …
“The Musician” - Instead of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” it’s “The Water Sprite Went Down to Lars Larsson.”
“The Legend of the Christmas Rose” - I guess it’s not just desserts because the lay brother chose the ending he “deserved,” but it was poetic how things fell nonetheless. Rip Abbot Hans.
“The Story of Jerusalem” - Selma … the racism. I’m upset. This is the first work of hers (in what I’ve read and my memory of it) that was truly problematic, and I’m mad about it.
“Why the Pope Lived to be so Old” - I loved this story. A story of religious devotion? Horror? I dig it.
“The Story of a Story” - This was so cute. And props to me for recognizing the anecdotes as from Gösta Berling before he was name-dropped!
“The Silver Mine” - I love a good story within a story.
“The Airship” - WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME, SELMA??
“The Wedding March” - When you’re trying to get married and the musicians won’t stop competitively humble bragging …
“The Musician” - Instead of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” it’s “The Water Sprite Went Down to Lars Larsson.”
“The Legend of the Christmas Rose” - I guess it’s not just desserts because the lay brother chose the ending he “deserved,” but it was poetic how things fell nonetheless. Rip Abbot Hans.
“The Story of Jerusalem” - Selma … the racism. I’m upset. This is the first work of hers (in what I’ve read and my memory of it) that was truly problematic, and I’m mad about it.
“Why the Pope Lived to be so Old” - I loved this story. A story of religious devotion? Horror? I dig it.
“The Story of a Story” - This was so cute. And props to me for recognizing the anecdotes as from Gösta Berling before he was name-dropped!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2008
Well, eat your hearts out, Jane Austen fans!
“Girl from the Marsh Croft,” the 60-page novella that shares its title with this fine collection, is the most effective, honestly-affecting love story I’ve read in a very long time. Helga, our heroine, suffers not only from the disadvantage of a poverty-class background; she is a “shamed woman” as well. But her vibrant, irrepressible character--her charitable and unclouded soul--make it impossible for any of her many intimidating challenges to steer her into actual tragedy. This is a woman who lives by instinct, by shrewd selflessness, and by an expansive heart. She’s something of a homely, unpredictable miracle . . . and as her story ended, she had this often-cynical reader going a bit goose-pimply in spite of himself. Of course, as a Scandinavian story, the definition of “romance” here is a bit unusual, and we are kept guessing as to whose love story it really is. And there are enough surprises along the way to sustain that tension, while at the same time Lagerlof builds our confidence that Helga will remain true to herself, whatever the outcome may be.
Also, it is worth noting that this novella always treads a certain line--with vivid failure, bereavement and sorrow just to one side--so that it’s impossible, even for a second, to consider Helga’s tale overly-sentimental. It’s a rare enough event that sometimes we forget, but the truth is: a serious writer can occasionally deliver a really first-rate romance, one that you can't help but respect. Austen did it, Shakespeare did it. And Lagerlof has as well.
Just a few more words on the storytelling here. As always, Lagerlof shows herself a master of dramatic structure and dramatic timing. This is part of the unique signature of her work. And her prose! It is spare but so focused and fluid that her readers immediately develop the familiar just-one-more-chapter syndrome.
“Girl from the Marsh Croft,” the 60-page novella that shares its title with this fine collection, is the most effective, honestly-affecting love story I’ve read in a very long time. Helga, our heroine, suffers not only from the disadvantage of a poverty-class background; she is a “shamed woman” as well. But her vibrant, irrepressible character--her charitable and unclouded soul--make it impossible for any of her many intimidating challenges to steer her into actual tragedy. This is a woman who lives by instinct, by shrewd selflessness, and by an expansive heart. She’s something of a homely, unpredictable miracle . . . and as her story ended, she had this often-cynical reader going a bit goose-pimply in spite of himself. Of course, as a Scandinavian story, the definition of “romance” here is a bit unusual, and we are kept guessing as to whose love story it really is. And there are enough surprises along the way to sustain that tension, while at the same time Lagerlof builds our confidence that Helga will remain true to herself, whatever the outcome may be.
Also, it is worth noting that this novella always treads a certain line--with vivid failure, bereavement and sorrow just to one side--so that it’s impossible, even for a second, to consider Helga’s tale overly-sentimental. It’s a rare enough event that sometimes we forget, but the truth is: a serious writer can occasionally deliver a really first-rate romance, one that you can't help but respect. Austen did it, Shakespeare did it. And Lagerlof has as well.
Just a few more words on the storytelling here. As always, Lagerlof shows herself a master of dramatic structure and dramatic timing. This is part of the unique signature of her work. And her prose! It is spare but so focused and fluid that her readers immediately develop the familiar just-one-more-chapter syndrome.
March 23, 2014
Liked some things but overall, this is not my cup of tea...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews