Mårbacka

"Mårbacka" by Selma Lagerlöf is a story that shows what life was like for children growing up in a Swedish manor during the early 1900s. The book gives a window on the differing personalities of the children and their relationships with the adults around them, especially their tough nursemaid, Back-Kaisa. The story focuses on childhood and how the children experience loneliness and fear in their lives. Although Back-Kaisa is strong and does her job, she is not very loving, and the children crave someone more gentle. The story shows how they deal with their fears when they are far from their grandmother's stories, and their father's happy face.