The subject of this podcast is Swedish writer, Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), the creator of Pippi Longstocking and other memorable characters for children.

In 1926, Lindgren became pregnant, but did not want to marry the father. She therefore chose to give birth to her son, Lars, in Copenhagen, Denmark. She also chose to leave Lars in Copenhagen with a foster mother while she returned to work in Stockholm. She visited the boy as often as possible. When the foster mother became ill, Lindgren brought Lars to live in Sweden with her parents.
Astrid Lindgren married in 1931, and a condition she made of that marriage was that her husband, Sture Lindgren, adopted Lars. Which he did.

Commentators on the podcast argue that the experience of Lars is reflected in several of her books; she has strong girl characters like Pippi Longstocking but the boy characters are often lonely orphans.