Description
Book SynopsisAn award-winning biography of one of the first undercover journalists—a pioneering Swedish woman who lived a fascinating life of adventure and forbidden love and who changed journalism forever. Born in 1891 in Stockholm, Ester Blenda Nordström defied stereotypes from an early age. She wore trousers, smoked a pipe, and rode motorbikes, much to the chagrin of her esteemed family. As a young woman, she captivated the public as Sweden’s first investigative journalist. Ester’s real passion was uncovering the truth, which she did by inhabiting the lives of others. Under an assumed identity, she toiled as a Swedish milkmaid on a farm, lived for six months with the Indigenous Scandinavian Sami people, and journeyed to America alongside poor emigrants aspiring to a better life. She saved villages from starvation during the Finnish Civil War and joined an expedition to study volcanoes in Siberia. Her groundbreaking reports were received by a spellbound audience and would change journalism forever. But just as Ester’s star was rising, her forbidden love affair with a woman ended in heartbreak, nearly destroying her. Her spectacular adventures and untamed heart concealed an inner turmoil that threatened to silence her powerful voice, but Ester’s life and spirit were ultimately irrepressible. Life in Every Breath brings Ester’s story back to the fore—and showcases one of the most fascinating women of the twentieth century.
Trade ReviewPraise for Life in Every Breath “Journalist Bremmer debuts with a tantalizing biography of Sweden’s first investigative reporter, Ester Blenda Nordström…Richly textured and vividly told, this is an intriguing portrait of a pioneering woman and her era.” —Publishers Weekly “Despite her fame, time has made Nordström fade into obscurity, but Bremmer does her justice with a story that remains relevant and captivating today.” —Shondaland International Praise for Life in Every Breath “The strongest biography I have read in a long time, not only because I fell for Ester Blenda’s life-embracing charm early on but more so that Bremmer handles sensitive material in the best way…A book like this, if there is any justice in the literary world, will be richly hailed and rewarded.” —Svenska Dagbladet “Rich, fun, educational…the best title of the year.” —Dagens Nyheter “Life in Every Breath is such a wonderfully straightforward portrait…Fatima Bremmer’s biography is a triumph, both because of her prose and because Blenda Nordström’s life resembles a fantastic melodrama.” —Aftonbladet
