Is ‘A Nearly Normal Family’ Based on a True Story or a Book?

Netflix is at it again with another thriller show, ‘A Nearly Normal Family,’ and as you can assume, going by the title, it revolves around a seemingly perfect family with a dark and ugly underbelly. It shows us that blood runs thicker than water, and we are ready to do heinous things to protect the ones closest to us. The show originates from Sweden and stars Lo Kauppi, Bjorn Bengtsson, and Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors in the main roles. But, today we’re going to discuss something else altogether; there are plenty of shows revolving around dark family secrets, but what makes ‘A Nearly Normal Family’ stand out is its source material, so let’s see, is the show a true story or based on something else, like a novel. 

‘A Nearly Normal Family’ is based on the Scandinavian crime novel 

The success of authors like Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbø, and others has brought international attention to Scandinavian crime fiction. This now famous genre is always easily recognized by complex characters, realism, and a strong sense of justice, so it doesn’t surprise us that Netflix picked up this Swedish crime novel and decided to adapt it into its next hit TV show. 

‘A Nearly Normal Family’ was written by M.T. Edvardsson, a Swedish writer who likes to visit the thriller genre in family settings. He is also the name behind the critically acclaimed ‘The Woman Inside.’ 

‘A Nearly Normal Family’ was welcomed with stellar reviews mostly due to how Edvardsson weaved the family and ethics theme into what at first sight seems like a run-of-the-mill and straightforward thriller book. 

What is ‘A Nearly Normal Family’ about? 

‘A Nearly Normal Family’ follows a simple enough narrative; the story takes place in Lund, Sweden, and follows a family of three: Stella, a 19-year-old girl; Adam, a reputable pastor; and Ulrika, a reputable criminal defense lawyer. 

They are, at first glance, a perfect family that the community looks up to, until one day, their normal life is uprooted when a wealthy local businessman, 32-year-old Christopher Olsen, is murdered, and Stella is accused of a crime. Stella returns home with a T-shirt stained with something dark, and Adam, even though he knows that it’s wrong, provides Stella with an alibi.

The story is told from three perspectives and has a three-part structure, each part told from the perspective of a different family member. As we learn more about the family, we also learn that they are far from being perfect. 

Stella was sexually harassed when she was 15, and her parents failed to report the crime; due to that, she started acting out and entered her rebellious phase, which led her to have an affair with an older member 13 years her senior. We also learn that Stella resents her parents a bit, her father for being overprotective, and her mother for being somewhat distant and cold. 

All three family members have their morals tested. Adam, as the local pastor, is confronted with choosing the wellbeing of his daughter and his faith, while Ulrika now faces the criminal justice system that she is used to working in her favor and needs to face that her daughter might be the murderer. 

‘A Nearly Normal Family’ arrives on Netflix on November 24, 2023

Now that we’ve covered the book, what about the show? Well, the show will arrive on Netflix on November 24, and the story will be told in six episodes. The main cast of the Swedish series includes Alex Karlsson Tyrefors – as Stella, Lo Kauppi as Ulrika, Björn Bengtsson as Adam, Christian Fandango Sundgren as Chris Olsen, Melisa Ferhatovic as Amina Besic, and Håkan Bengtsson-as Mikael Blomberg. Produced by Jarowskij with scriptwriters Anna Platt and Hans Jörnlind and director Per Hanefjord

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