The Red Address Book

DEBUT Lundberg's first novel introduces 96-year-old Doris Alm, of Stockholm, Sweden, who recalls her many years on this Earth. Her lifelong belief is that, above all, love matters most. Reminiscing during her weekly Skype calls to her only living relative, her grandniece, Jenny, in San Francisco, Doris wants to be sure that Jenny, who had a difficult childhood, appreciates her approach to life and her significant relationships. As a young child, Doris was given a red address book by her beloved father, who died shortly thereafter. The book includes many details, about which Jenny is curious. When Doris's health falters, Jenny travels to Stockholm to be with her and learns of her great-aunt's many connections, bonds, and experiences during World War II: working as a living mannequin in 1930s Paris; being rescued at sea by a fisherman; laboring as a housekeeper in Sweden.