Ronia, the Robber's Daughter
by Astrid Lindgren
- Series
- Standalone
- Genre
- Classic fantasy for children
- Age
- ages 7 and up
About the book
Ronia is born on a night of thunder, when lightning splits Matt’s Fort in two. She is the daughter of the robber chief Mattis, and she grows up among robbers and in Matt’s Forest, home to grey dwarfs, rumphobs and wild harpies.
One day she meets Birk, the son of Mattis’ worst enemy, Borka, whose band of robbers has moved into the other half of the fort. Ronia and Birk become friends across the feud, and that begins to crack the grown-ups’ world apart.
Published in 1981, the book is a story about friendship, freedom and breaking free of your parents’ wars.
My thoughts
The forest is what I remember best. Ronia in Matt’s Forest, with everything alive and dangerous around her, is one of the most beautiful portrayals of nature in any children’s book.