Maria Bouroncle

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Chicago Dreams

Twenty-three-year-old Elsa dreams of a new life in America. In September 1921, she boards the steamship Drottningholm in the Swedish port of Gothenburg with twenty-five dollars to her name Chicago Dreams is based on a true story and is the standalone sequel to It Came to Me on a Whim: The Story of Ingeborg Andersson, Child Murderess and The Girl with a Nametag: The Story of a Finnish War Child.

Twenty-three-year-old Elsa dreams of a new life in America — a life where women are permitted to be independent and free. In September 1921, she boards the steamship Drottningholm in the Swedish port of Gothenburg with twenty-five dollars to her name. Seven years later, she has established herself in the big city of Chicago, working as a clerk in the Post Office for the determined Mrs Thompson. In her free time, she enjoys life with her friends and leads a carefree life — until a fateful telegram shatters her world. Elsa’s father has fallen gravely ill, and she must immediately return to Sweden…

“A compelling, thoroughly researched contribution to Swedish emigration history.”

Elisabeth Brännström, BTJ 

MARIA BOURONCLE is a Swedish author who lives in Washington, D.C. An economist by training, she spent over 25 years in international development before publishing her first novel in 2018. Her work has been translated into several languages, and Chicago Dreams was recently awarded the American Scandinavian Association grant for its contribution to a deeper understanding of Nordic culture.