The Colony is a strange and mesmerizing novel that unravels, thread by thread, the narrative trope of escaping society for a back-to-the-land utopia.
Emelie lives a busy life in the city, with a demanding job and packed social calendar. But one day she wakes up and can't get out of bed. A neighbor cares for her, taking her for trips into the forest that begin weaving a new pattern for her life.
The novel has light surrealistic touches as Emelie begins living in a tent in the woods, reveling in the quiet peace of nature. She observes a nearby group with an alternative lifestyle and becomes increasingly infatuated with them. The Colony expands to explore these individuals, who each have complicated emotional patterns. The reality of their lives outside of society unfolds, revealing challenges that are typically skimmed over in back-to-nature daydreams--notably, but not solely, medical care.
Swedish author Annika Norlin thoughtfully digs into serious topics while still finding humor in the absurd--comedy that is expertly translated by Alice E. Olsson. On the day Emilie is unable to get out of bed, she talks to herself, determined to make her social commitments: "I hear you, my body said, but nothing happened.... My texting thumbs were still with me. They never fail!"
The story magnifies every warp and weft of human nature, relationships, and power dynamics--and all the flaws and contradictions that don't become apparent unless looked at closely. The Colony is a brilliant novel of love, trauma, and bonding, a careful examination of the human condition that never lets its characters fall into simplifications or easy answers. --Carol Caley, writer