''The People of Hemsö'' () is an 1887 novel by

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...

about the life of people of the island Hemsö in the

Stockholm archipelago The Stockholm Archipelago () is the largest archipelago in Sweden, and the second-largest archipelago in the Baltic Sea (the largest being the Archipelago Sea across the Baltic in Finland). Part of the archipelago has been designated as a Rams ...

. Hemsö is a fictional island, but it is based on

Kymmendö Kymmendö () is an island in the south of the Stockholm archipelago. Kymmendö is the model for the fictional island Hemsö in August Strindberg's novel ''The People of Hemsö ''The People of Hemsö'' () is an 1887 novel by August Strindberg a ...

where Strindberg had spent time in his youth. Strindberg wrote the book to combat his

homesickness Homesickness is the distress caused by being away from home.Kerns, Brumariu, Abraham. Kathryn A., Laura E., Michelle M.(2009/04/13). Homesickness at summer camp. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 54. Its cognitive hallmark is preoccupying thoughts of home ...

while living abroad in Germany and France. Written during a difficult period in exile from Sweden, the novel paradoxically has a strong sense of place, and is a feat of straightforward folksy storytelling. Mrs. Anna Eva Flod, a widow of some means, hires Johannes Edvard Carlsson to run the farm on the island. As a newcomer and a landlubber among sailors and fishermen, Carlsson is implicitly distrusted by the locals as they try to discern whether Carlsson is a slippery confidence trickster preying on the lonely widow, or an honest, hard-working man revitalizing the neglected farm. The 1944 film ''

The People of Hemsö ''The People of Hemsö'' () is an 1887 novel by August Strindberg about the life of people of the island Hemsö in the Stockholm archipelago. Hemsö is a fictional island, but it is based on Kymmendö where Strindberg had spent time in his youth ...

'' was adapted from the novel. In 1955, a movie based on the novel was shown; it marked the first film appearance of the actress Daliah Lavi. In 1966, a TV series based on the novel was produced.

Sources

* Meyer, Michael. 1985. ''Strindberg: A Biography''. Oxford Lives series. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987. . {{DEFAULTSORT:People of Hemso 1887 Swedish novels Novels by August Strindberg Stockholm archipelago Novels set in Stockholm County Swedish-language novels