Jonas Jonasson – The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden
Just finished my first book of Jonas Jonasson, a Swedish journalist and author. Most famous for his book The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, but author of two others. The one I read was The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden, which strange enough became in German
The story recounts the countless turns the life of Nombeko Mayeki, a black girl born in Soweto as latrine cleaner, who manages to save the Swedish king as well as most of the world from an atomic desaster by first getting driven over by a drunkard of South African nuclear bomb engineer, then meeting a clique of three Chinese sisters excelling in faking antiquities, and two Mossad agents. With the (unwilling) help of those agents she escapes to Sweden (including the atomic bomb) where she meets twins of a psychotic father who brought them up as one child so that the spare one can eradicate the Swedish monarchy. After many twists and setbacks, including several meetings with the Chinese premier Hu Jintao, she finally manages to get rid of the atomic bomb, get her “undercover” twin a real identity, and set up a proper life – ah, and not to forget, save the King of Sweden!
A fast paced, surprisingly funny and lovely story about how little things can change our lives completely.
It is actually the English title that is strange. The Swedish original title is “Analfabeten som kunde räkna”.
/A Swede
Oh, indeed!!! Thanks a lot.
I really enjoyed that one too. The 100 year old man was even better. I found Hitman Anders disappointing. The first two books featured likeable rogues. The characters in the third were unlikable.
Hi Mark,
thanks for your comment. I will surely check out the 100 year old man.