Customer Reviews

Papa's Wife

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This captivating, wholesome story is a refreshing respite from our often hectic, sometimes violent existence in the late 20th century. Pontus and Maria are completely devoted to each other and their family. They don't merely "put up" with each other's differences. Those differences actually serve to endear them to one another. The various situations the family gets into made me laugh and the descriptions of Swedish food and customs was enchanting. I loved this book!

I found this book to not be about a young woman getting her man and having children. It's a beautiful depiction of a simple life that reminds us to take a step back from all of our ambition and things that we find important. It's a testemant to Mama's faith. She focused on what was important to her in life, which is what we all should do. She shows us how the jobs like mother and wife, which are often thought lightly of in the current time and play second fiddle to professions, are the most important of them all. Mama makes me want to be a better person.

I read this book the first time when I was 12. I reread it at 32, married, with 3 children. It stopped me from whining, reminded me of how I used to view the world, and made me feel Comforted. Maria reminds us all how truly thrilling life can be as a woman.

This book has been a good friend for more than 30 years. I read it in junior high school and loved it; I love it still and re-read it frequently. The lovely descriptions of home and family life are relaxing and refreshing in today's hurry-up times. Mrs. Bjorn wrote several other books about her family and her faith; I especially enjoy her nonfiction.

Set in Sweden, an eighteen-year-old girl comes to work as housekeeper for the parish's confirmed bachelor pastor, and determinedly sets out to marry him. With head still spinning, the newly-married man of God finds his life (as well as his lovely home and fine furnishings), turned upside-down, often with hilarious results. As their family grows, so does Maria's determination to move them all to America with which country she has fallen in love. A wonderful, amusing love story, and proof-positive that once a woman has made up her mind, it is best to capitulate right away. An amusing novel which shares the ups and downs of family life, complete with it's joys and sorrows, founded on faith and love. A definite "warm, fuzzy-feeling" kind of novel.

A heartwarming and amusing story about family life. I'm making it required reading for my teenagers,

This book was a wonderful collection of happenings centered around one family. A grand human-interest story about having true faith in God himself and about the differences between men and women. I was chuckling to myself atleast once in almost every chapter. The book was very uplifting and sort of romantic. Not a "girly-girl" type book, but awesome for tomboys like me, who occassionally like a little romance, and love learning about other cultures.

I read this book as an early teen, and liked it for the reason I liked all Christian romances back then -- I was in love with love. As an adult now, looking to review books based on whether or not they portray true Biblical Womanhood, I have to give this book a thumbs down. Maria, or "Mama" is absolutely the initiator in her relationship with the preacher. She totally traps him, and is happy with her success, because she now gets to live the life she dreams as the preacher's wife. I guess the end justifies the means.

The problem with this book lies deeper than a simplistic style of writing, in my opinion. One Sunday when the Preacher is sick, Mama pushes him back in bed, and herds the children off to church -- she will just go ahead and take care of that sermon for him. The Preacher is pretty frequently made out to be a simpleton, and perfect, sweet Mama just runs circles around him.

I do not recommend this book, even to a young teen who doesn't care what she reads as long as the girl finds true love in the end because there is so much better literature out there that will paint a truer picture of Biblical Femininity as well as expand one's mind.

I picked up this book while preparing for a trip to Scandinavia, hoping to learn more about the way people lived and interacted in Sweden. I didn't feel like that information was there- the family could have just as easily been in Oregon or Tasmania for all I knew. Nothing made me feel like I was really there in Lapland with them.

Considering what the book was, instead of what it wasn't, it was ok. The Franzons had a powerful faith that was present in their everyday lives. They seem to have been Baptists, rather than Lutherans, the current Swedish majority. They lived by their faith- it was a regular part of their daily life. The writing style was very simple and that made the characters seem very simple also. At times I felt that I was reading someone's *idea* of what the people were like, rather than what they were *really* like.

Mama's many pregnancies and births were lightly glossed over, so anyone looking for insight into that would find it lacking. Their ideas on why the children looked like they do would have been comical if the parents hadn't taken them so seriously. Some children were more "fleshed out" than others and there was absolutely no explanation given for the source of their nicknames. Beating, switching and hitting the children were taken for granted, and I am very happy that it is now illegal to hit children in Scandinavian countries. Even the children knew the switchings didnt' help their behaviour but the parents didnt' figure that out.

Food and housework were mentioned more often than just about anything else. Maria (Mama) was obviously Supermom to maintain her immaculate house and to bake and cook regularly for the family. They didnt' do laundry except in the summer so maybe that's how she kept up.

References to the yard mystified me a little. A more thorough description would have helped as I still dont' understand the sand yard.

The sea voyages to America were hardly mentioned. I would have loved to know more about how they really felt and how they lived day-to-day on the ships. I would have liked to have "met" some of their fellow travellers- after all, my Grandparents could have been on the same ship as they were.

If you view this as a light book about a girl who gets her (older) man, lives the life of her dreams as a Preacher's Wife who gets to emigrate to America, then you will be satisfied. If you're looking for insight on early 20th Century Swedish life, look further.