{"product_id":"big-in-sweden-a-novel-isbn-9780063312760","title":"Big in Sweden: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Sally Franson is a world class entertainer. She can finesse a serio-comic moment in a way that leaves you catching your breath. Deft and delicious, this book is a flat out delight machine. A heart opener, a page turner, and a true ’originell!’ I laughed out loud, I ugly cried, and I never, ever wanted it to end.\" — Meg Ryan, actor, writer, director\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA charming, wise, and laugh-out-loud funny romantic comedy following an American woman competing on a Swedish reality show in an attempt to discover her roots. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaulie Johansson has never put much stock in the idea of family: she has her long-term boyfriend Declan and beloved best friend Jemma, and that’s more than enough for her. Yet one night on a lark, she lets Jemma convince her to audition for \u003ci\u003eSverige och Mig\u003c\/i\u003e, a show on Swedish television where Swedish-Americans compete to win the ultimate prize: a reunion with their Swedish relatives. Much to her shock, her drunken submission video wins her a spot on the show, and against Declan’s advice Paulie decides to go for it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArmed with her Polaroid camera, a beat-up copy of \u003ci\u003ePippi Longstocking, \u003c\/i\u003eand an unquenchable sense of possibility, Paulie hops on a plane to Sweden and launches into the contest with seven other Americans, all under the watchful eye of a camera crew. At first, Paulie is certain that she and her competitors have nothing in common besides their passports and views their bloodthirsty ambitions with suspicion. Yet amid the increasingly absurd challenges—rowing from Denmark to Sweden in the freezing rain, battling through obstacle courses, competing in a pickled herring eating contest—Paulie finds herself rethinking her snap judgments and discovering an unexpected found family with her fellow countrymen, while her growing attachment to her Swedish roots increases her resolve to win the competition herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrappling with long-held notions of family, friendship, and love—not to mention the slow burn romance with the distractingly handsome Swedish cameraman who’s been assigned to follow her around—Paulie starts to reconsider her past and rethink what she wants for the future. This charming fish-out-of-water tale filled with warmth, optimism, and wit, \u003ci\u003eBig in Sweden \u003c\/i\u003eis at its heart a love story: love for family, friends, country, and—most importantly—oneself. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"If you devoured \u003ci\u003ePippi Longstocking\u003c\/i\u003e as a kid, you will not be able to turn away from \u003ci\u003eBig in Sweden\u003c\/i\u003e. Reading this hilarious, heartfelt book was even more fun than watching reality television. I absolutely loved it!\" — Jessica Anya Blau, author of \u003ci\u003eMary Jane\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Bitingly funny . . . [Sally] Franson’s snappy debut nimbly skewers the high-flying world of advertising and romance in the age of social media. . . . Franson’s irresistibly flawed heroine holds her own as she strives to find honesty, meaning, and even love in a demanding world, resulting in an addictive, escapist novel.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly on A Lady's Guide to Selling Out\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A wry, observant take on career success and ambition.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Post on A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This frothy, sneaky tale from Franson intermixes elements of \u003cem\u003eThe Bold Type, Mad Men,\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Devil Wears Prada\u003c\/em\u003e.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly on A Lady's Guide to Selling Out\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e“A charming, wise, and laugh-out-loud funny novel.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooktrib.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eBig in Sweden\u003c\/em\u003e is a love story for family, friends, country, and self.\"  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGeekmom.com\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Swedish pancakes, Viking villages, evangelical relay races: Sally Franson's hilariously cantankerous cast of \"Crying Americans\" vie for the chance to discover their Nordic roots in this raucous, big-hearted book. Imagine Ancestry.com meeting the Great British Bake-Off... with ABBA and karaoke.  \u003cem\u003eBig in Sweden \u003c\/em\u003eis a *very* funny novel about the families we inherit and the ones we ultimately create for ourselves.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJulie Schumacher, bestselling, Thurber Prize-winning author of The Dear Committee Trilogy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Sally Franson is a world class entertainer. She can finesse a serio-comic moment in a way that leaves you catching your breath. Deft and delicious, this book is a flat out delight machine. A heart opener, a page turner, and a true ‘originell!' I laughed out loud, I ugly cried, and I never, ever wanted it to end.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMeg Ryan, actor, writer, director\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Franson’s novel mirrors her life — she was the winner of a Swedish heritage reality show — and her insider expertise informs the fictional show’s oddball experiences and heart.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“\u003c\/strong\u003eAuthor Sally Franson pulls off the rare trick of creating a believably human main character, someone who drove me as crazy as any of my real friends while also evoking my genuine affection, and then giving her a unique setting and plot that allows her to travel a familiar, but meaningful, character arc. . . . Funny, heartfelt and as enjoyably quirky as its main character, \"Big in Sweden\" is a terrific summer read.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePittsburgh Post-Gazette\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A terrific book.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEmily Nussbaum, author of I Like to Watch and Cue the Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Such a clever summer read. It’s a chatty rom-com romp through the life of a funny, adventurous, and amusing—though slightly adrift—Minneapolis woman who applies for a Swedish reality TV show, then jets off, leaving her bookish boyfriend behind as she embarks on the sort of international escapades that throw a light on two cultures separated by an ocean. Think Henry James, with jokes and pop culture.\"  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMpls St. Paul Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A high-spirited heroine loses herself in a vortex of modern striving in this debut novel. . . Come for the hilarious narration, stay for the whirlwind plot, luxuriate in the satirical gleam.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews on A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A fast-paced and quick-witted trip into the world of advertising today. With smart, funny characters and perfectly crafted dialogue, Franson cleverly explores the battle between giving in and staying true to oneself.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist on A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"If you devoured \u003cem\u003ePippi Longstocking\u003c\/em\u003e as a kid, you will not be able to turn away from \u003cem\u003eBig in Sweden\u003c\/em\u003e. Reading this hilarious, heartfelt book was even more fun than watching reality television. I absolutely loved it!\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A sidesplitting yet wistful story about examining priorities.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMinneapolis Star Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Big in Sweden\u003c\/em\u003e is full of quick insight and charming detail, and absolutely packed with one-liners. Sally Franson is a brilliant comic writer—and one with a deep love for all her characters. It’s a dazzling combination.”  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKatherine Heiny, author of Games and Rituals\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Mariner Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48587983159525,"sku":"NP9780063312760","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063312760.jpg?v=1773959847","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/big-in-sweden-a-novel-isbn-9780063312760","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}