Liberation

Jens Liljestrand

The internationally acclaimed author Jens Liljestrand is back! Following up his international success Even If Everything Ends, sold to over 20 countries, Liberation is an exquisitely intricate novel about how World War II ended everywhere, except on Bornholm.

Bornholm, Denmark, 1945.Peace is finally within reach as World War II comes to an end.

The Swedish doctor Edvard Carlsson has spent the final years of the war trying to contribute to a more bearable existence for the inhabitants of the Danish island, but people regard him with suspicion. The Bornholmites are impatiently awaiting the moment when the German occupiers will lay down their arms and surrender as the British army is expected to arrive. But the Brits never show up.

While the rest of Denmark celebrate their freedom, the tension increases on Bornholm between the German soldiers and the Danish resistance movement. Suddenly, an air raid by the Red Army strikes, as they initiate a new occupation of the island. Despite the war being officially over, catastrophe soon unfolds, and Edvard is drawn in to a web of lies where he feels his tenuous hold on control slipping even further through his fingers.

In Liberation, Jens Liljestrand portrays a traumatic and largely unknown chapter of World War II. He tells the story of the war trauma at Bornholm where he partly grew up, with great insight, leaving room for both action, despair, and, at times, sharp humour.

Masterfully executed, Liberation is a captivating historical novel that also unfolds as an unexpected spy thriller, highly relevant to our present day.

‘Jens Liljestrand has managed to square the circle with this magnificent and epic novel: it reads like an adventure, without ever losing sight of the human suffering that war will bring. And while it captures the nature of war with an impressive accuracy, it also felt strangely contemporary, prophetic even. It’s a mesmerizing read.’ Editor Daniel Sandström on Liberation