The story of Bo Vilhelm Olsson (Karl Anders Nilsson in the English translation), who becomes Mio and ends up in the Land of Faraway where he is given a mission to fight the evil knight Kato, is one of Astrid Lindgren’s most beloved stories. A magnificent, beautiful, and poetic tale that prompts the reader to contemplate life and death, good and evil, and the power of love.Astrid Lindgren recounted how she got the idea for the book when she walked through the Tegnérlunden park in Stockholm and saw a boy sitting alone on a bench. It was a dark autumn evening and he looked so lonely and sad. She made her character live in number 13 Upplandsgatan since that’s the door she noticed the boy disappearing through.The novel was the first of Astrid’s stories illustrated by Ilon Wikland, and became the start of a long collaboration."A tale of exquisite and rare beauty."Saturday Review“A charming fairy story that should complement young feelings of love and adventure.”Kirkus Reviews“Beautifully written... Mio, My Son is a splendid contribution to the fairy-tale shelf.”Chicago Sunday Tribune”Astrid Lindgren's lyrical fairy tale language captivates and makes Mio, My Son a wonderful book to read or read aloud.”Swedish Library Service, BTJTranslator: Jill Morgan
Fakta
The first to bring Astrid Lindgren's books abroad was the publisher Damm & Søn in Oslo, with their Norwegian edition of "Pippi Longstocking" already appearing in 1946. This marked the beginning of a long-standing relationship. Today, most of her books in Norway are published by Cappelen Damm, a publishing house formed through the merger of Cappelen and Damm. Astrid's book adaptations into films also became popular in Norway, as did her famous songs. One of Astrid Lindgren's favorite books was "Hunger" by the Norwegian author Knut Hamsun; she often mentioned it as one of her greatest reading experiences.