Jerusalem

"Jerusalem" by Selma Lagerlöf is a book that opens with Ingmar Ingmarsson wrestling with guilt and the weight of his family's history. Ingmar, while working his fields, thinks about his shortcomings compared to his family and the shadow of Brita's past, a woman whose tragic situation he feels responsible for after she is imprisoned for infanticide. His inner turmoil shows the pressure he feels from society and his family's reputation. This scene introduces Ingmar's personal struggles and hints at the religious changes affecting his community, raising the idea of redemption and moral responsibility that shapes the story. Themes such as idealism, sacrifice, and the conflict between old customs and new beliefs play a big role in this novel.