Home to the Island

Michaela von Kügelgen

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.

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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

About author

Michaela von Kügelgen

Michaela "Kugge" von Kügelgen (1986) has four published titles under her belt. Her most recent novel, Sommar på Villa Hilda, will be published in eight territories and has been optioned for the screen.

Since 2020, Kugge offers highly regarded online writing courses, which have attracted participants from both Sweden and Finland. Her newsletters on writing and entrepreneurship have 1,600 subscribers. In the newsletters she shares her journey, offering encouragement to others while candidly discussing her own challenges and triumphs. Together with author Anne Hietanen, Kugge is working on a crime novel series with book #1, The Last Word slated to be published in 2026.

In addition to her writing career, Kugge plays handball, has recently developed a passion for second-hand fashion, and slow travels to Berlin whenever she can — after having lived there for two years.

Photo credit: Frida Lönnroos

Bibliography


2026, Crime & Suspense

Michaela von Kügelgen

The Last Word


2026, Commercial/Upmarket

Michaela von Kügelgen

Home to the Island


2025, Commercial/Upmarket, Romance

Michaela von Kügelgen

Summer at Villa Hilda