Read Online Swedish Lessons a memoir of sects love and indentured servitude Sort of Natalie Burg 9781490347356 Books

Product details Paperback 236 pages Publisher CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (July 19, 2013) Language English ISBN-10 1490347356

Swedish Lessons a memoir of sects love and indentured servitude Sort of Natalie Burg 9781490347356 Books Reviews

• Lucky me I got to meet the author. Natalie shared with our book group about her experience in Sweden. She is a Michigan girl like me. We also heard a few tidbits about the publishing industry which were very interesting. It sounds like it can be very challenging to get your book published but so worthwhile as you will see when you read this book. I cannot imagine myself in this kind of a situation but Natalie makes it work for her and I hope she helped dispel some of the myths Swedish people have about Americans.
  I can hardly wait for her next book.
  Queen Moira
• This book was a great read. I had to keep reminding myself throughout that it was a memoir and not a novel. I can't believe all of this happened to the author but it was great to laugh with her at the outrageous things that she dealt with. Hopefully she won't be taking anymore trips to Sweden but I look forward to reading more from her.
• Just finished this book, tried to make it last a while but couldn't make it last any longer than a couple evenings...had to know where it went next. Having three daughters of similar age as the writer at the time of her adventure made me send/order each a copy upon finishing the read. REAL - Interesting - and true life lessons learned for anyone to introspect or reflect. I especially like that it was REAL - true thoughts from a young persons time in life, perspective and understanding with personal growth processes exhibited while living not lectured. Looking forward to her next....
• Natalie takes you on a personal trip to her few months of Baltic life.
  Most of her problems are her own making, but she opens her life to show us it's OK to make errors and carry on.
• Good first book from this author. Enjoyed particularly learning about Sweden from another perspective after reading Swedish detective fiction like Girl with the Dragon Tattoo!
• Swedish Lessons is witty, well written, and gets right down to the nitty gritty of Burg's experiences. It's a book you'll want to re-read over and over again.
• My husband suggested this book to me after hearing an interview with the author on Stateside. From how he described it to me, her story sounded like a somewhat similar experience I had while in Sweden, so I was very excited to find out more.
  
  While her writing flowed well, I could have done without the numerous f-bombs she drops (51, to be exact) among many, many other expletives. There were a couple typos that spell-check didn't catch, probably because they were simply the wrong homophone.
  
  I give her credit that I did read the book fairly quickly - but the more I read, the less I liked her, and the more she became that person we all love to hate. She comes across as judgmental, unhappy, passive-aggressive (which she somehow accuses others of being), immature and a permanent victim. It seemed that no matter what kind gesture was made toward her, it was always 'wrong' and with 'passive-aggressive' undertones.
  
  Nothing inspiring here, but an easy read.
• Swedish Lessons is the perfect combination of snarky observations and poignant memories of a young woman looking for excitement on the other side of the Atlantic.
  
  Unfortunately, nothing goes as planned and Ms. Burg is sucked into a life of housework with a crazy cultish matriarch as her overseer and that's where things just start getting awkward. Although she glosses over her housework with humor I can't imagine the toll it took on her psyche. She is a brilliant observer of the very un-American nuances that carry over from one generation to the next in a typical European family (having been raised in one, though not Svensk, it was not news to me that the linen napkins needed to be used daily and the shoe business was just d'uh! I once got yelled at as a kid for tracking my towel into the living room ruining the oriental rug fringe my grandfather had just finished combing straight).
  
  The best part of the read was Ms. Burg's voice and optimism - never letting the downs overshadow the ups - she finds appreciation and beauty in the smallest and most fragile moments. The book had me laughing out loud in an empty room, anxious for her well-being, and waiting for every new vocabulary word.
  
  I highly recommend Swedish Lessons.