Alex Schulman
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Power to endure

Alex Schulman and the art of emotional autobiography

by BRYAN REESMAN

Sometimes the deepest mysteries circle closest to home. Alex Schulman’s novel The Survivors, now in paperback, tells an intimate tale through parallel timelines in alternating chapters. In the present, three brothers are fighting and grieving for their dead mother, and in the past, readers are transported to a tumultuous summer with the brothers’ alcoholic parents. The present chapters are told backward, while the past chapters move forward, both set on a collision course toward the truth. As the siblings face spreading their mother’s ashes, emotional secrets will be exhumed that illuminate their familial dysfunction.

The Swedish author’s fifth book—and first novel—The Survivors has sold in 35 countries and falls into the realm of what could be called emotional autobiography. As Schulman says, “I could write scenes that never happened to me. But still, they are 100% true.” He has written autobiographical books about his wife, father, grandfather and alcoholic mother. His mother, he says, has factored into much of his writing, including Forget Me, Sweden’s Book of the Year in 2017.

The Survivors was actually inspired by the passing of his mother and his emotional estrangement from his two brothers. The timeline was influenced by information he gleaned from a police officer friend.

“He once told me that when they interrogate suspects they have this technique [where] they ask the suspect to tell the story backwards because it’s much harder to lie backwards,” Schulman recalls. “That was just the first idea of it. What if you tell the story backwards? What can you gain from it? [The story’s middle brother], Benjamin, is also a bit backwards, and he doesn’t know up from down and just doesn’t know what’s reality. So, I thought it could work in the theme as well,” says Schulman, who enjoys books in which readers must figure out a puzzle.

Before becoming a published author, Schulman wrote a blog critiquing the celebrity culture in Sweden. That led to newspaper assignments, and for many years he has written a column for the major Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, in which he tackles everything from personal stories to politics.

Schulman’s father, Allan, was a TV journalist; his mother, Lisette, a TV host and politician; and his maternal grandfather, Sven Stolpe, an author. Despite his pedigree, Schulman did not initially get attention for his books. It was his blog (started in 2005) and its half million readers that convinced Swedish publishers to take him on. His first book, Hurry to Love, arrived in 2009. He has also been a TV and radio host and playwright since then.

For more than a decade, Schulman has co-hosted the popular Swedish Alex & Sigges podcast with fellow author Sigge Eklund in which they do everything from share stories to philosophize about various topics. He gets to test ideas through the podcast, such as trying backward storytelling.

Schulman says The Survivors changed everything in 2020. “Before that I didn’t sell one single book outside of Sweden,” he says. “It’s very much before and after The Survivors. I wrote one book [after] called Malma Station that’s coming out abroad now. But I owe everything to The Survivors because that was the book that took me abroad.”

Bryan Reesman is an author who is based in New York.

The Survivors

After the death of their mother, three estranged brothers meet at the family’s cottage, where, long ago, an accident forever changed the family.

Benjamin, the middle son, has an increasingly loose hold on reality, but he’s also determined to figure out why his family was never close. Before the brothers leave, they will find out what really happened in the cottage so many years ago.

This atmospheric thriller is sure to have readers turning pages at a breakneck speed.

The Survivors (Item 1005491) will be available in June in most Costco warehouses.—Cindy Redmond, Buyer, Books

Cross Down (Item 1057786) will be available in June in most Costco warehouses.

Additional Book Pick

Cross Down James Patterson and Brendan DuBois

When Alex Cross is injured, it’s up to his partner, John Sampson, to find justice. Cross Down, by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois, finds Sampson working on his own and fighting to keep many people safe, including his friend Cross, his young daughter and the U.S. president.

Costco Connection What inspired the plot point of sidelining Alex Cross?
Brendan DuBois In the 30 Alex Cross novels, John Sampson has been a constant companion, sounding board and defender of Alex’s. They’ve been friends since childhood, and we thought [this book] would present a story in which John moves from supporting character to main character.

CC What did you most enjoy about having John Sampson work on his own?
BD Part of the joy in working with John Sampson as the lead character was making him the forefront of the investigation and action. No longer a sidekick—as important a role as that has been— now the weight and burden of solving a brutal attack that almost killed Alex Cross rests entirely on him. It was also a delight to flesh out his background and feel his inner thoughts and emotions.

CC What else would you like readers to know?
BD Readers who pick up Cross Down will find a fast-moving story in which John Sampson learns the murder attempt on Alex Cross was part of a much wider conspiracy.

Also in the warehouse

These bilingual book-and-puzzle sets are a great form of unplugged fun for the little ones in your life. The three titles include The Farm, Land of Dreams and Fantastic Creatures. Each set has a puzzle with either 25, 100 or 200 pieces.

The accompanying books include text in both English and French, a variety of seek-and-find activities and a poster to help children assemble the puzzle.

My Puzzle Box and Book from Auzou (Item 1778899) will be available in June in most Costco warehouses.—CR