The story of Elsa and Natanael encompasses the entire history of the 1900s, says journalist and author Annika Persson.
She has previously written biographies about Lena Nyman and Märta Måås-Fjetterström. Now it's Elsa Beskow's and Natanael Beskow's turn.
In "Elsa and Natanael Beskow – A Love Story", one of the last century's most powerful couples and their marriage are portrayed. The preacher, author, artist, and headmaster Natanael Beskow was a superstar in the early 20th century, and children's book author, illustrator, and artist Elsa Beskow is almost a national treasure today.
Stands out
The couple's marriage stands out in several ways, according to Persson.
Carl Larsson forbade Karin Larsson from painting, and Anders Zorn was hardly a role model when it came to having a good and respectful relationship with his wife. But these two – they show each other an enormous respect, love, and mutual consideration throughout their lives, she says.
About Natanael Beskow, Annika Persson "knew almost nothing" before she started working on the book. It was when she began reading about Elsa Beskow that her curiosity was piqued:
Elsa's life was in a way quite simple: She had many children and wrote many books. It becomes quite little drama in such a life. But when you combine her and Natanael, you get the entire history of the 1900s – the labor movement, the women's movement, the children's rights movement, she says.
Working on the book has been a pleasure for Persson, mainly because it has meant "dwelling" together with two people who lived in a time when democracy grew stronger and things slowly became better. If you connect the Beskows' achievements, they were involved in all the major freedom movements of the 1900s, and everything in life was a joint project for them.
Children's perspective
What was it like to portray national treasure Elsa Beskow? When Annika Persson grew up in the 1970s, Beskow's books were often seen as conservative, proper, and bourgeois, but now she has discovered a strong children's perspective in the books.
Suddenly, you see who she's actually writing for – children who work full-time in the mines. Then the image of this conservative fairy tale aunt becomes entirely different.
Born Maaartman in 1874, died 1953.
Married Natanael Beskow in 1897, the couple had six children.
Elsa Beskow debuted in 1897 with "The Tale of the Little, Little Old Woman" and then followed an artistic and literary career with nearly 40 works.
The major breakthrough came in 1901 with "Putte's Adventures in the Blueberry Forest" and then followed classics like "Olle's Ski Trip", "Tomtebobarnen", "Hattstugan", and the series of five books that began with "Aunt Green, Aunt Brown, and Aunt Gredelin" and ended with "Peter's and Lotta's Christmas".
Born in 1865, died 1953.
Was a preacher, author, artist, and headmaster. Founded Birkagården, Sweden's first so-called home, together with Ebba Pauli in 1912.
Was often employed as a negotiator and was deeply engaged in the issue of women's suffrage.
Was a radical pacifist and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947.
Published many sermon collections and wrote original texts for a number of hymns.
