The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

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In the story's preface, the author introduces herself as someone who has struggled with depression for years. This book reflects on women with mental illnesses and how the three female characters are viewed and treated differently. One has recovered, one is in recovery, and one was never given a chance.

The Lost Village is a documentary about Silvertjärn, Sweden, a former mining village that has become a ghost town since 1959. This six-episode documentary is to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of nine hundred of its residents. The producer, Alice Lindstedt, has been obsessed with the story of her grandmother's family's disappearance. She travels with a small crew to the ghost town to make a film about the mysteries behind it.

The narration switches between the present state and back to the year 1959. At the current state, Linda is already in town with the crew for her documentary. Linda keeps some letters dated back to 1959, where Margareta's sister Aina wrote to Linda's grandmother Margareta to update her about Silvertjärn.

In 1959, two police officers found Birgitta Lidman was stoned to death and a baby in the school. Birgitta was bound by ropes tied to a pole raised in the middle of the square. The village was completely silent, but amid that silence, they heard a baby's cries. All 887 residents had disappeared into thin air as if they had never existed. Before the disappearance, the village has a new pastor, Mattias Akerman. Linda's grandmother keeps the timeline of information about Pastor Mattias Akerman, which includes his violent childhood and being twice rejected to join the clergy.

Back to the present state, an argument has started between Linda and Emmy about bringing Tone to the hospital for her sprained ankle. When Tone is missing and everyone is looking for her, one of the vans suddenly explodes. Is the explosion a curse of Silvertjärn, or is it possible someone else is in the town?


ISBN Number of Pages Rating
9781250249258 (Hardcover) 340 ★★★ (3/5)
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