Big in Sweden: A Novel

Written by Sally Franson

Narrated by Meg Ryan

NARRATED BY MEG RYAN

“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

A charming, wise, and laugh-out-loud funny novel following an American woman competing on a Swedish reality show in an attempt to discover her roots.

Paulie 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 Sverige och Mig, 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.

Armed with her Polaroid camera, a beat-up copy of Pippi Longstocking, and 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 about her fellow countrymen, while her growing attachment to her Swedish roots increases her resolve to win the competition herself.

Grappling with long-held notions of family, friendship, and love—not to mention her feelings for 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. A fish-out-of-water tale filled with warmth, optimism, and wit, Big in Sweden is at its heart a love story: love for family, friends, country, and—most importantly—oneself. 

""If you devoured Pippi Longstocking as a kid, you will not be able to turn away from Big in Sweden. Reading this hilarious, heartfelt book was even more fun than watching reality television. I absolutely loved it!"" — Jessica Anya Blau, author of Mary Jane

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9780063312777

Sally Franson

Sally Franson is the author of A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Best American Travel Writing, and on NPR, among other places. She grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and was educated at Barnard College and the University of Minnesota. She lives in Minneapolis.

Reviews for Big in Sweden

[reks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Promising and unexpected. I could have loved it, if not for the flat narration.

[Jerry Weis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story held so much promise. Sadly, I had a really hard time following much of it because of the narrator’s poor enunciation. I felt like I was listening to someone talk with a mouthful of frozen slushee. Is that really Meg Ryan speaking? I expected more. At any rate, I had to give up after an hour or so.

[jakresva · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Meg Ryan does a disappointingly flat narration. I gave up after a couple chapters and reserved the e-book in the library.

[mfeuerherd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A story that is essential to listen to. Brilliantly narrated by Meg Ryan. Delightful when what I so needed was a delightful book.