The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden

A Novel

By: Jonas Jonasson, Rachel Willson-Broyles - translator

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

A wildly picaresque new novel from Jonas Jonasson, the author of the internationally best-selling The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.

In a tiny shack in the largest township in South Africa, Nombeko Mayeki is born. Put to work at five years old and orphaned at 10, she quickly learns that the world expects nothing more from her than to die young, be it from drugs, alcohol, or just plain despair. But Nombeko has grander plans. She learns to read and write, and at just 15, using her cunning and fearlessness, she makes it out of Soweto with millions of smuggled diamonds in her possession. Then things take a turn for the worse....

Nombeko ends up the prisoner of an incompetent engineer in a research facility working on South Africa's secret nuclear arsenal. Yet the unstoppable Nombeko pulls off a daring escape to Sweden, where she meets twins named Holger One and Holger Two, who are carrying out a mission to bring down the Swedish monarchy...by any means necessary.

Nombeko's life ends up hopelessly intertwined with the lives of the twins, and when the twins arrange to kidnap the Swedish king and prime minister, it is up to our unlikely heroine to save the day - and possibly the world. In this wild romp, Jonasson tackles issues ranging from the pervasiveness of racism to the dangers of absolute power, while telling a charming and hilarious story along the way. In the satirical voice that has earned him legions of fans the world over, Jonasson gives us another rollicking tale of how even the smallest of decisions can have sweeping - even global - consequences.

©2014 Jonas Jonasson (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

An entertaining romp!

What made the experience of listening to The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden the most enjoyable?

There were moments where I laughed out loud.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nombeku because of her resilience and ingenuity

Which scene was your favorite?

The King coming to dinner.

Any additional comments?

Obviously need to suspend belief for some parts but quite amusing to listen to. Made our car trip go so much faster.

interesting But Convoluted

Great premise, witty, fun, but overstuffed, long, a tad bit grating. Glad it finally ended.

Another great one!

I loved it just as much as the '100 ur old man ..', witty, funny, smart. would deff recommend

Tedious

Not as good as past book. It reads like a series of unfortunate events, so very wearisome.

Fun read

I really enjoy reading Jonas Jonassons books. They're very well written and fun to read.

Interesting and funny

This book takes so many twists and turns and is very comical and interesting to read.

Ms Lambeko is amazing

clever characters and delicious twists make for a delightfully entertaining listen. Every moment was well spent. narration is top notch. I shall look for more from both the Author and the narrator

Unexpected and slightly obtuse fun

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this was simply a fun book to listen to. I loved how the story twisted and turned in unexpected ways, and the character development of most characters was deep and detailed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden?

There were so many funny circumstances that took place, but the one that currently pops into my head (5 months after reading it) is when Nombeko threatens to throw her scissors into the thigh of the man trying to swindle her; he didn't believe her until she did it.

Which scene was your favorite?

Too many delightful scenes to pick one without ruining parts of the story for others...

Who was the most memorable character of The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden and why?

I enjoyed the combined idiocy of the Holger (1&2) characters.

Any additional comments?

For one that normally reads non-fiction, this was a great escape from reality and made me laugh a lot. Satire always has a message, though, and this book spins the universal message that one person's actions can have dramatic consequences - positive and negative, near and far.

Completely Enjoyable

What made the experience of listening to The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden the most enjoyable?

The combination of history and the back stories for most of the major players of the text. While everything might not have happened, it feels firmly rooted in reality and you get a sense of what is going on in this world at these times.

What other book might you compare The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden to and why?

Jonasson's other book "The 100 Year Old Man" has a very similar tone and style. If you liked the first, then I think you will enjoy this one.

fantastic in all senses of the word!

1. start with plucky heroine from slums of South Africa
2. add cast of eccentrics
3. add one nuclear bomb, Chinese forgers, a drunken engineer & a non-existent Swede
4. result? hours & hours of absurdity, an amazing plot & a great translation -- loved it