”From a Swedish Homestead” by the Swedish author Selma Lagerloef (translated by Jessie Brochner) is a varied collection of stories, mostly set in Dalarne or Vaermland in Sweden, but also some stories or legends from Kungahalla on the west-coast at the time between Heathendom and early Christianity plus some Legends from Italy and Belgium. The first nine sections, “The Story of a Country House”, is a short Novel, originally published on its own, but here part of the collection.

It is the story of how a young orphan girl, Ingrid, is the instrument of saving the student Gunnar Hede, who has lost his wits and memory by a terrible experience, trying to save his home, his Country House, and who wanders the roads as a Pedlar, but at the same time afraid of most everything, especially animals. As told by Lagerloef it is a both fascinating and sweet story, as are all the others. (Summary by Lars Rolander)