Britt-Marie

Britt-Marie is the main character of this novel. She is a 63-year-old woman who finds herself suddenly single when she leaves her husband because he had an affair. She desperately wants to go back to her old life but at the same time experiment with self-sufficiency.

Britt-Marie’s first step after leaving her husband is to go to an employment agency and try to get herself a job. Because she has no higher education and has not worked outside her home since she has gotten married the girl who works with Britt-Marie tells her it may be difficult to find her a job. The girl, however, does find Britt-Marie a temporary position as the caretaker of the recreation center in Borg.

If Sigmund Freud were to describe Britt-Marie he would call her anally retentive. She is precise about cleaning and germs. She orders her day with a list...