Lagerlöf, Selma

Selma Ottiliana Lovisa Lagerlöf was born as the fifth of six children at Mårbacka farm in Östra Ämtervik parish, Värmland province. Her father, Erik Gustaf Lagerlöf, who came from a long line of clergymen, was a lieutenant and landowner. Her mother, Louise Wallroth, was the daughter of a wealthy mill owner. Because Selma was born with an unstable hip, she walked with a limp all her life and was taught at home by governesses. Her first major reading experience was Oceola by Thomas Mayne Reid, which she read when she was seven years old, and she wished she could write a story that was just as wonderful. When she was ten she read the entire Bible, thinking it would cure her sick father. Her childhood was also informed by the folk stories that were told to her by her grandmother.