Genre: Fiction / Humour
Jonas Jonasson is the author of many a-good stories (e.g. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared) which I have yet to read. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden was the first book I read of his and it did not disappoint.
The book is humorous and follows the adventures of Nombeko Mayeki who was born into poverty in a shack in Soweto. Her adventures somehow lead her to Sweden where she works as a housecleaner for an engineer who is working on a secret project. I won’t spoil the story too much, but as the title suggests, she’s quite the hero.
The story is quirky. It’s filled with improbable and far-fetched situations that really spark the imagination. It’s quite a lengthy read but Jonasson has really captured a charming character quirk in Nombeko that makes it hard to put the book down.