GWYNETH OLOFSSON

Back in 1952 Olle's teacher set her class of thirteen-year-olds a homework - to draw their family tree. She must have known that the majority would complete it quite easily, for her pupils were born at a time when over half of Sweden's population still lived in the countryside and were often the descendants of families who'd lived on or near the same spot for generations. It was not surprising then that many people grew up with an encyclopaedic knowledge of both their own family's history and that of their neighbours. This was especially true of people who lived on the island of Tjörn, where for centuries few people moved to another part of the island, never mind the mainland. At any rate, Olle had no difficulty in producing an extensive family tree, tracing his ancestors back seven generations on both his mother's and father's sides... As is still the case in farming communities all over the world, children were expected to help their parents as soon as they were able, so after..