Collected Works

High Fidelity meets Where'd You Go Bernadette in this Swedish runaway best seller, a work of pure literary nostalgia for times just past.

Martin Berg, the intrepid owner of a small and ever-challenged independent publishing house, is in crisis. Following the disappearance of his wife, Cecilia Berg, he confronts his middle-aged existence and the reality of his loss. He begins to ponder what his "collected works" might consist of if he were a significant enough artist to deserve a retrospective: a retrospective that his childhood friend, the remarkable painter Gustav Becker is about to enjoy. Against this impending event, Martin must unpack his passionate love for his now-missing wife, his relationship with his two children and the unfinished manuscript he's been working on for years.

Rakel, Martin's twentysomething daughter, is reminded of her mother's absence everywhere she goes, thanks to Becker's newest installation: a series of billboards featuring images of his beloved muse, Cecilia. When Rakel finds a possible clue to her mother's fate, her world tilts on its axis.

Collected Works is Lydia Sandgren's debut novel and a global literary sensation. A family saga of several generations, Sandgren has crafted a page-turning story about enduring love, lifelong friendships, and art at the intersection of truth and fiction.