The Colony - by Annika Norlin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A mega best-seller in Sweden, with rights sold to over a dozen countries and a TV adaptation underway, Annika Norlin's debut novel The Colony is the biggest Swedish literary phenomenon since Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove.

"A disturbing, engrossing portrait of a tiny community living beyond society."--Joumana Khatib, The New York Times Book Review

Winner of the Vi Literature Award and Swedish Radio's Novel Prize, two of Sweden's biggest literary awards, The Colony is a gripping portrayal of contemporary society and its alternatives.

Burnt-out from a demanding job and a bustling life in the city, Emelie has left town to spend a few days in the country. Once there, in the peaceful, verdant hills, down by the river she encounters a mysterious group of seven people, each with personal stories full of pain, alienation, and the longing to live differently. They are misfits, each in their own way, and all led by the enigmatic and charismatic Sara.

How did they end up there? Are they content with the rigid roles they've been assigned? And what happens when an outsider appears and is initially drawn to their alternative lifestyle but cannot help but stir things up?

A masterful blend of humor, emotion, unforgettable characters, and sharp social commentary, The Colony is a magnetic and deeply touching story about love, community, and the unfathomable power we other others and that others have over us.

★ "Norlin's writing (as translated by Olsson) is clever and incisive, poking fun at modern society and the woodland community in equal measure... Ultimately, this is a treatise on humanity, on the things people need and the power and frailty of human connection. This is a novel that will stick with you."--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

Review Quotes

"A disturbing, engrossing portrait of a tiny community living beyond society. Too often novels packed with this many ideas sacrifice emotion in favor of mounting a ponderous argument; Norlin instead writes visceral episodes that speak for themselves."--Joumana Khatib, The New York Times Book Review

"Norlin's characters are all so real; she knows every feeling of every person, which is incredibly hard to do and requires a lot of investment. She also has a wonderfully unpredictable way of writing... it just knocks you over."--Fredrik Backman, The New Yorker

★ "Norlin's writing (as translated by Olsson) is clever and incisive, poking fun at modern society and the woodland community in equal measure. The colony's strengths are great but so are its weaknesses. Ultimately, this is a treatise on humanity, on the things people need and the power and frailty of human connection. This is a novel that will stick with you."--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

★ "Norlin, in her debut, comments on contemporary society, the environment, and the fragile nature of belonging through her characters and their interactions. For readers of literary fiction who love nuanced characters and stylistically complex novels with a sense of humor and sharp insight into the problems of modern society."--Booklist (Starred Review)

"Norlin's character work is superior, bringing each Colony member to vivid life and examining in nuanced detail how they interact. It's an impressive tale of a found family."--Publishers Weekly

"I was swept away by this... I really enjoyed it, it felt like true escapism... For when you're sick of thinking about all the technology that is barreling towards us."--Joumana Khatib, The New York Book Review Podcast

"The Colony manages to tackle themes of environmental catastrophe, capitalism, exploitation, and care, in turn rendering human fragility, hubris, and desire without ever feeling oppressively dark.Norlin achieves this through a use of humour and playfulness; The Colony is wryly funny and sometimes scathing."--Matilda Nevin, Asymptote Journal

"In the Swedish musician's disturbing, engrossing first novel, an incongruous group of individuals--a rootless Hungarian man, an animal-rights activist, a woman who murdered her husband, an ant specialist and her unwanted child--form a tiny, virtually silent commune cut off from society. Taking place over many years, with interludes into the characters' back stories, The Colony asks: Is this an Edenic laboratory of human cooperation, or something more like a cult?"--The New York Times, Most Anticipated Books of March 2025

"In this elegant, darkly funny, and deeply touching story about group dynamics and our need for belonging, the author once again shows she's a receptive and warm depicter of human life. This is a novel to take to your heart and warm yourself upon."--Svenska Dagbladet

"A brilliant debut."--DN

"With her clear, fluid prose, Annika Norlin now takes a permanent place on the literary stage. She shows that she is equally sure of herself as both a musician and an author."--Radio Sveriges

"Norlin shows incredible compassion for her characters."--Göteborgs-Posten