Original title: Hem till Halsterö
Author: Michaela von Kügelgen
Published: 2026
Publisher: Schildts & Söderströms
Genre: Commercial/Upmarket
Part of a series: Villa Hilda series
Reading material:
Swedish translatable manuscript
English synopsis
When Sanne’s dream job in Oslo is derailed by her mother’s illness, she returns to the idyllic yet shadowed archipelago of Halsterö—where secrets, loss, and unexpected love await. Amid organic farms, fractured families, and the pull of the past, will Sanne finally discover where she belongs?
The story follows Sanne, who is about to start her dream job in Oslo when she learns that her mother Birgit is ill. Instead of moving to Norway, she now travels back home to Halsterö. There, her neighbour Sebastian has been taking care of Birgit in Sanne's absence. Sebastian is an organic farmer who has lost both his wife and his father and is struggling to recover from a mental slump.
In Helsinki, there is Henrik, who is set to take over the family business. After a divorce, he goes from one Tinder date to another, without any goal or meaning. But one day, he receives a call that changes his life. In the background, there are also Thomas and Louise, whom we got to know in Summer at Villa Hilda. But this time, the focus is on Sanne. Will she finally find her way home?
The Villa Hilda series is set in an archipelago environment where the sea, nature and community create a sense of refuge. But beneath the idyll lie shadows – the past, secrets and difficult choices that shape people's lives. The series balances sorrow and hope and explores themes such as new beginnings, responsibility, loneliness and love.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Schildts & Söderströms (orig. Finland-Swedish), Schildts & Söderströms (Finnish), SWEDEN: Schildts & Söderströms
DENMARK: Lindhardt og Ringhof
GERMANY: Aufbau Verlage
NETHERLANDS: Singel Uitgeverijen
NORWAY: H. Aschehoug & Co
Loukko by 
