Greymire; the family farm and legacy.
A respected father and an authoritarian mother.
Three siblings.
What will unfold when the patriarch dies?
From the outside, the Preacher’s family is perfect. Father Back Sven is a highly praised, retired priest, who is beloved by many in the community. His wife Louise is the steadfast anchor of the family; she who takes care of all the daily matters with an unyielding hand. Their three children are all grown up and as different as siblings can be. Yet, lurking beneath the surface is a tense family dynamic, full of judging eyes and suppressed emotions.
Sven and Louise’s hold on the family legacy is strong. However, everything changes when Sven gathers the family on Midsummer’s Eve to deliver the devastating news: his cancer has returned, and this time it will ultimately win. The announcement upends the already strained balance in the family – what will happen to Greymire now?
The oldest son Gustav is determined to prove himself, convinced that the future of the family farm depends on him. The daughter Sara is forced to confront her own personal dilemmas – an ordeal that could forever alter her relationship with her mother, and her future. Meanwhile Ruben, the youngest of the three, is still searching for his place in the world, desperate to earn his parents’ blessing and perhaps gain more responsibility at the family home. Yet, his efforts only seem to validate his mother’s low expectations. Is one of the three children favored to take over the steering wheel? Or will Louise’s grip on the legacy grow even stronger when Sven is no longer around, leaving the children without any control?
Greymire is an epic family drama that captures the inevitable collisions between different generations. Marit Danielsson portrays her characters with both compassion and sharp insight, making them relatable but also detestable. Greymire is the first novel of at least two planned books that will follow the turbulent events of this Dalecarlian farm and its dysfunctional family. Reminiscent of Succession and Yellowstone, tension grows with each chapter, forcing the reader to turn the page to see how this compelling family drama will ultimately play out, making it a novel that is impossible to put down.
Reviews
“[Greymire] is a thought-provoking and captivating slow burner of a relationship drama […]. Depictions of the scenery’s beauty and joyful fiddler’s music stand in stark contrast to an inner chaos.”
BTJ, 4/5 stars (SE)