About this item
Winner of the August Prize, an intricate weave of documents, substantive narrative, and emotional commentary that centers on a young Jewish refugee's friendship with the future founder of IKEA.Otto Ullman, a Jewish boy, was sent from Austria to Sweden right before the outbreak of World War II. There he became best friends with Ingvar Kamprad, who would grow up to become the founder of IKEA. Despite the huge Swedish resistance to Jews, the thirteen-year-old Otto was granted permission to enter Sweden - all in accordance with the Swedish archbishop's secret plan to save Jews on condition that they converted to Christianity. Otto found work as a farmhand at the Kamprad family's farm Elmtaryd in Agunnaryd in the province of Smland. Ingvar and Otto became very close friends.
About the Author
Elisabeth Åsbrink is a Swedish writer and journalist. Her work deals with memory and oblivion and often focuses on the aftermath of The Second World War. Her non-fiction book 1947: When Now Begins, published in 2016, has been translated into 19 languages and received a prize from the Royal Swedish Academy. Her second work And in the Vienna Woods the Trees Remain won several awards including the prestigious August Prize for Best Swedish Non-Fiction Book of the Year, the Ryszard Kapuscinski Award for best literary reportage and the Danish-Swedish Cultural Fund Prize. Made in Sweden, a non-fiction book about Swedish culture and self-image, is her latest work. She is based in Stockholm and Copenhagen and writes literary reviews and essays for major Swedish and Danish newspapers. Elisabeth is currently writing Abandonment - the story of a family through three women in three cities. How are secrets, lies and taboos passed down through generations? More info: http://elisabethasbrink.se/en/bio
