Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Big in Sweden: A Novel
    Big in Sweden: A Novel
    Big in Sweden: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Big in Sweden: A Novel

    Written by Sally Franson

    Narrated by Meg Ryan

    ()

    About this audiobook

    NARRATED BY MEG RYAN

    “Sally Franson is a world class entertainer. She can finesse a serio-comic moment in a way that leaves you catching your breath. Deft and delicious, this book is a flat out delight machine. A heart opener, a page turner, and a true ‘originell!' I laughed out loud, I ugly cried, and I never, ever wanted it to end."" -- Meg Ryan, actor, writer, director

    A charming, wise, and laugh-out-loud funny novel following an American woman competing on a Swedish reality show in an attempt to discover her roots.

    Paulie Johansson has never put much stock in the idea of family: she has her long-term boyfriend Declan and beloved best friend Jemma, and that’s more than enough for her. Yet one night on a lark, she lets Jemma convince her to audition for Sverige och Mig, a show on Swedish television where Swedish-Americans compete to win the ultimate prize: a reunion with their Swedish relatives. Much to her shock, her drunken submission video wins her a spot on the show, and against Declan’s advice Paulie decides to go for it.

    Armed with her Polaroid camera, a beat-up copy of Pippi Longstocking, and an unquenchable sense of possibility, Paulie hops on a plane to Sweden and launches into the contest with seven other Americans, all under the watchful eye of a camera crew. At first, Paulie is certain that she and her competitors have nothing in common besides their passports and views their bloodthirsty ambitions with suspicion. Yet amid the increasingly absurd challenges—rowing from Denmark to Sweden in the freezing rain, battling through obstacle courses, competing in a pickled herring eating contest—Paulie finds herself rethinking her snap judgments about her fellow countrymen, while her growing attachment to her Swedish roots increases her resolve to win the competition herself.

    Grappling with long-held notions of family, friendship, and love—not to mention her feelings for the distractingly handsome Swedish cameraman who’s been assigned to follow her around—Paulie starts to reconsider her past and rethink what she wants for the future. A fish-out-of-water tale filled with warmth, optimism, and wit, Big in Sweden is at its heart a love story: love for family, friends, country, and—most importantly—oneself. 

    ""If you devoured Pippi Longstocking as a kid, you will not be able to turn away from Big in Sweden. Reading this hilarious, heartfelt book was even more fun than watching reality television. I absolutely loved it!"" — Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJul 2, 2024
    ISBN9780063312777
    Big in Sweden: A Novel
    Author

    Sally Franson

    Sally Franson is the author of A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Best American Travel Writing, and on NPR, among other places. She grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and was educated at Barnard College and the University of Minnesota. She lives in Minneapolis.

    Related to Big in Sweden

    Related audiobooks

    Contemporary Women's For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Tuesday New Release Day: Starring Shipstead, Ryan, Walker, and More

      May 17, 2022

      Here’s a quick look at some notable books—new titles from Maggie Shipstead, Eimer Ryan, Sarai Walker, and more—that are publishing this week. Want to learn more about upcoming titles? Then go read our most recent book preview. Want to help The Millio

      5 min read

    • Article

      A FOOL’S paradise

      Mar 1, 2020

      This novel ought to come with a warning: Don’t read in the depths of a freezing cold winter, as it will leave you desperate to book a holiday to a tropical island where you can snorkel all day and drink ridiculous cocktails. Since it is still summer

      1 min read

    • Article

      Intermission

      Oct 12, 2023

      I just don't like you no more.’ So declared Brendan Gleeson in last year's BAFTAwinning fable and Irish Civil War allegory, The Banshees of Inisherin. A devastatingly matter-of-fact dismissal, coldly delivered, and one that sent Pádraic Súilleabháin

      3 min read

    • Article

      Mailbox

      Apr 30, 2023

      We all know the song by Carly Simon called ‘You’re So Vain’. Well, my partner loves it. Sadly, his interpretation of the words leaves a bit to be desired. He thinks the line containing “wife of a close friend” is “wife of a postman” – and he sings al

      1 min read

    • Article

      Married At First Sight Australia Is Lockdown TV’s Guiltiest Pleasure

      Feb 8, 2021

      What happens when you pair up a bunch of obliging singletons based on a mysterious compatibility test and have them lock eyes for the very first time at the altar? Pure, unadulterated chaos, if the Australian edition of Married at First Sight is anyt

      4 min read

    • Article

      Hot Right Now!

      Dec 2, 2021

      £14.99, WATERSTONES Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home, Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with

      2 min read

    • Article

      Wanted: Stories With Happily Ever Afters - Here's Where To Start Looking

      Mar 26, 2020

      In uncertain times, we want stories that reassure us that everything will be okay. Here are some books, films, plays and TV shows that believe in Happily Ever After.

      4 min read

    • Article

      Q&A with Megan Annear

      Jan 18, 2021

      Q&A with Megan Annear
      2 min read

    • Article

      Seize The Romantic Reins And Rule

      Feb 11, 2023

      Seize The Romantic Reins And Rule
      2 min read

    • Article

      Mail-Order Reception

      Jan 16, 2021

      Mail-Order Reception
      3 min read

    • Article

      Tv Picks Of The Week

      Dec 4, 2023

      Tv Picks Of The Week
      3 min read

    • Article

      Cricket League

      Feb 1, 2024

      Julian Burgoon, age 10 Westfield, NJ Monster Pumpkin Kelsie Young, age 13 Ellsworth, ME Dustie Riley, age 9 Shawnee, KS Exploding Pumpkin Rotten Cheesecake, Candy Corn, Fish Bones Emily Shu, age 10 Johns Creek, GA Ranvir Sharma, age 12 Norwalk, CT

      2 min read

    • Article

      Sweet TREAT

      Jul 19, 2020

      Sweet TREAT
      1 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Aug 17, 2022

      Book Club
      2 min read

    • Article

      23 Walks

      Sep 15, 2020

      23 Walks
      1 min read

    • Article

      Stream Unmissable Shows

      Jan 18, 2021

      Stream Unmissable Shows
      6 min read

    • Article

      Rare Consolation: Reading A Memoir of Addiction

      Sep 13, 2017

      Rausing thoughtfully, painstakingly, works a deep groove into the stubborn surface of certain bedeviling questions: “How do you write about addiction?” “Who can help the addict?” The post Rare Consolation: Reading A Memoir of Addiction appeared firs

      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Big in Sweden

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words