From a Swedish Homestead

On a patch of stubborn soil, under a sky that never forgets—ordinary people living extraordinary lives.

Selma Lagerlöf's short story collection From a Swedish Homestead is a luminous portrait of peasant life in her native Värmland—a world of small farms, deep forests, ancient customs, and people whose stubborn dignity transforms poverty into something resembling grace.

The collection gathers some of Lagerlöf's most beloved tales of rural Sweden. In "The Story of a Story," an old woman waits decades for revenge. In "The Fisherman's Ring," a humble fisherman is granted a magical gift that tests the limits of his faith. Other stories explore the tensions between tradition and change, the weight of family honor, the quiet heroism of daily labor, and the strange, supernatural forces that the country people knew lurked just beyond the edge of the farmhouse light.

A young woman refuses to marry the man her father has chosen, sparking a feud that lasts generations. A farmer sells his cow for a song and discovers that music can nourish a soul even when there is no bread. A priest learns that the poorest parishioner may be the richest in grace. An old man, dying alone, is visited by the spirits of everyone he has wronged, and discovers that forgiveness is possible even when it is too late.

This is Lagerlöf at her most earthy and transcendent: a collection that celebrates the hard-won beauty of peasant life while never sentimentalizing its hardships. The homestead is not a place of ease. It is a place of endurance, of stubborn hope, of love that outlasts loss.

• First published in 1899, a collection of short stories set in Lagerlöf's native Värmland

• Blends folk legend, psychological realism, and Lagerlöf's signature lyrical prose

• Essential reading for anyone who loves Gösta Berling's Saga and wants to explore Lagerlöf's shorter fiction

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.

• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

A beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears, or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that the smallest homestead can hold the largest heart.

About the Author

Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940) was a Swedish novelist and short story writer, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, receiving the award in 1909. She was also the first woman elected to the Swedish Academy, joining in 1914. Born on the Mårbacka estate in Värmland, she drew deeply on the landscapes, folklore, and peasant culture of her native region. Her major works include Gösta Berling's Saga (1891), Invisible Links (1894), Jerusalem (1901–1902), The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1906–1907), The Treasure (1904), The Emperor of Portugallia (1914), The Girl From Marsh Croft (1908), and Mårbacka (1922). From a Swedish Homestead (1899) remains one of her most beloved collections of short fiction. She died at Mårbacka in 1940.