The rose on Thistle Island (Rosen på Tistelön) - Emilie Flygare-Carlén

Art. no. 216584013 24 Apr 2025

Rosen på Tistelön (1842) is a novel by Emilie Flygare-Carlén, often considered her most outstanding work. The book is set in the Bohuslän archipelago and is based on the author's childhood memories and a real court case.

In Rosen på Tistelön we follow Gabriella, known as the Rose of Tistelön, who is the half-sister of smuggler Birger Haraldsson. The story begins one stormy night when Birger and his father, Håkan Haraldsson, are taking a load of silk to the mainland. When their boat is confronted by a customs hunt, they see no other way out than to kill the entire crew. This crime becomes a dark backdrop to the events that follow. The novel explores themes of crime and punishment, atonement and retribution, and the poverty that characterized many of the small fishing villages at the time.