earn about one young boy s idyllic summers at his family s cabin at the summer pasture. His experiences are typical of so many Swedish families who moved to a summer cabin, along with all their farm animals, to enjoy life with fresh pastures and mountain air. The fäbod way of life continued for centuries - in central provinces such as Dalarna, Värmland, Hälsingland, Härjedalen and Jämtland and Rune Mats s adventures chronicle its last decade.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, most of Sweden s population lived in rural areas and most of these people had a direct connection to farming. Younger Swedes in Sweden and Swedish-Americans in the USA may recognize fragments of stories they have heard about this way of life from their grandparents or great-grandparents or even their great-great grandparents.