I was excited to read this as I love Sweden and the story looked very good. The beginning was not bad, besides an disgusting, graphic description of fish dinner that I did not like. I liked Stephie, the main character. She was relatable and real, but she made some pretty bad choices. Stephie and her sister Nellie are placed in different homes. Nellie loves her kind, welcoming foster family, but Stephie is placed with Aunt Märta, who is not welcoming but soon comes to care for Stephie. Nellie and Stephie soon grow distant, and Stephie is really all alone on this island, waiting for her parents. She steals a porcelain dog from Aunt Alma’s because it reminds her of her old dog, but then her “friend” finds it and breaks it. That part I found hard to read. Stephie and Nellie are taken to church. They can not understand the Swedish prayers very well, but Stephie starts to cry because the prayers make her happy. Maybe they remind her of Jewish prayers. Anyway, Aunt Alma and Aunt Märtha take note of this and declare Stephie and Nellie “redeemed”, and make insulting remarks about Jewish religion. The girls are later baptized. Besides Stephie and Nellie being originally Jewish, there was not enough Jewish culture to satisfy me. Really, the whole story is about Stephie and this bully at school, Sylvia. Sylvia torments her mercilessly, and NO ONE notices or speak up for Stephie! I found this very hard to believe. On top of it, Stephie never tells anyone, not even Nellie. Sylvia insults her, makes fun of her for not being able to ride a bicycle, and even burns off some of her hair, which Stephie later decides to cut short. In the last few chapters, thugs get dramatically better for Stephie, but she loses almost every part of herself on the way. I was like Anne Of Green Gables, just not a fraction as good. If you are thinking of reading this, get yourself a copy of Anne Of Green Gables.

This was a great book I got to say but it was preaty sad in some places. But I liked Over all.

awesome, awesome, awesome !!!!!

Its a series and I'm on the second book The Lily Pond which follows Stephie as she moves up to grammar school on another island leaving her new life behind to create a 3rd one with May, Sven, and the city

it was a good book and was kinda sad. l would recommend it to most people.