Scandalul

Björnstad is a forest town where the economy is in decline. The town pins its hopes on its junior hockey team. The team has reached the final to win the title. Some players are seventeen. The drive to win shapes their choices. Money and sports fame start to count more than people. A rape shakes the town. Families spread lies to shield themselves and the team. They blame the victim and brush off the police probe.

Fredrik Backman's novel shows how ties to a group can hide abuse. It deals with hate based on race, class, and sex. It also shows hate aimed at those from other countries. Taunts and harassment in the locker room form part of this pattern. The group shuts out those who differ from it. Backman shows what drives these acts. He leaves readers to judge.

This is the first of three novels about those who live in Björnstad. Andreea Caleman translated it from Swedish. This edition is part of the Musai series.