Wednesday, August 28, 2019

"The Truth Behind the Lie"

Sara Lövestam is a Swedish novelist, born in 1980 and living in Stockholm. She writes in many genres — historical novels, Y/A, crime — but her books all deal with deeply human struggles, such as challenging perspectives, dealing with alienation, and being true to oneself. Lövestam worked for many years as a Swedish teacher for immigrants, and says a lot of her inspiration comes from her students. She enjoys music, carpentry, and learning new languages.

Lövestam applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, The Truth Behind the Lie, and reported the following:
I'd say page 69 is fairly representative of the novel. On this page, Kouplan, the paperless refugee taking on a PI case, meets with Pernilla who has hired him to search for her missing daughter Julia, and they visit a church where Pernilla would tell Julia to go if she was ever lost.

Kouplan works Pernilla's case at the same time as he's hiding from the Swedish police looking to send him back to Iran. That threat is always in the back of his mind, and he always strives to look "like a citizen". On page 69, this shows:
Janus sees him first. The dog is ridiculously happy to see him and when Kouplan bends down to receive a few slobbering dog kisses, he feels safe. A man greeting a blond woman's excited dog - what can be less suspicious than that?
Another aspect that characterizes this book is Kouplan's innovative methods, as he doesn't have access to the same tools as a professional PI or the police. He is forced to solve his case without money, connections or even a car. Page 69:
Kouplan is studying the church doors. They are big and heavy and might be hiding a child behind them.

"Have you checked the windows?"

Most of the enormous windows of the church are high over their heads. Two are within reach if you stand on one of the backs of the benches.
Visit Sara Lövestam's website.

Writers Read: Sara Lövestam.

My Book, The Movie: The Truth Behind the Lie.

--Marshal Zeringue