Lilly's blog 

Press Release April 9, 2026

THE ABUSED WIFE CONFRONTS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THROUGH A STORY OF SURVIVAL AND STRENGTH

Lilly Setterdahl delivers a powerful historical novel following a young woman’s escape from abuse and her journey toward independence and justice.

New York, NY, April 8, 2026 — In a compelling and emotionally charged new release, The Abused Wife, author Lilly Setterdahl presents a gripping story that examines the enduring realities of domestic violence through a historical lens. As part of the Pioneering Women series, the novel highlights how struggles faced in the late 1800s continue to resonate in modern society. Readers new to the series may also wish to begin with the earlier installments, The Pioneer Woman, in which the heroine is abused by her husband, and The Good Stepdaughter, where Sophie’s abuse is first introduced.

The story centers on Sophie, a seventeen-year-old determined to escape life on her family’s farm. Drawn by promises of a better future, she elopes with her boyfriend, only to find herself trapped in a relationship built on deception and abuse. What begins as hope quickly turns into a harsh reality as Sophie faces physical and emotional harm while raising her children under constant fear.

Setterdahl does not shy away from the difficult truths of abuse, portraying its impact not only on Sophie, but on her children. As the cycle of violence begins to affect her son, Sophie is forced to confront painful decisions that test her strength and resilience. Her journey reflects the complex emotional and practical challenges faced by those seeking to break free from abusive environments.

Support comes from unexpected places, including strong women within her family who offer protection, guidance, and the opportunity for a new beginning. Through education and determination, Sophie begins to rebuild her life, discovering a path that leads her toward independence and the possibility of a future in law.

Brightkey PR

The third book in my trilogy, Pioneering Women, went live on Amazon March 30, 2026. See "The Abused Wife."  https://www.amazon.com/Abused-Wife.../dp/B0GR5VTJ1P... 

The Pioneer Woman with Lilly Setterdahl

Storytelling at the Geneva Senior Center, on Friday, May 1, at 10 a.m. Address: 400-Wheeler Drive, Geneva, Illinois (off Route 31 and Stevens Street in Wheeler Park. Follow signs). Local author Lilly Setterdahl will portray Kristina, a Swedish immigrant woman who came to Illinois in 1847, joined a utopian colony, and was subsequently expelled.  The story is based on the author’s book, The Pioneer Woman (2024), inspired by a true story. Autographed books will be available. Get free raffle tickets at the door to win books. The Senior Center would like to know if you plan to attend. Ph. No. 630-232-3602. You don’t have to be a member to attend.

November 1, 2025

Author Fest at Geneva Public Library, Geneva, Illinois, sponsored by the library, 1 pm to 4 pm

About 20 local authors will be present. We will each get a few minutes to present our latest books. I will wear my Swedish costume and portray Kristina Forsell in The Pioneer Woman and The Good Stepdaughter. These two books are available at The Gift Box, 310 W. State Street, Geneva.  Kristina was Swedish and experienced a hard life in America until she married Tom Forsell. Tom had an 18-year-old daughter, Margaret. Having buried three infant girls of her own, Kristina is happy to finally have a daughter. She gets along well with Margaret until something unexpected happens. Kristina never knew how to fight for her rights, but Margaret finds a way to help women. 

August 2025.  

Book Signing. On September 6, 2025, from 1 to 3 p.m., I will be at The Gift Box, 310 W. State Street, Geneva, IL, signing The Pioneer Woman (2024), The Good Stepdaughter (2025), and a few other books. The Gift Box has beautiful decorative items and food products from the Scandinavian countries.  

New Project: I have learned that a large group of immigrants from the parish of Veddige, Halland, Sweden, settled in Batavia, Illinois, and I would like to know what motivated them, meet descendants living in the area, and learn if any letters from them have been preserved in the home community of Veddige. 

Batavia is part of the Tri-Cities (St. Charles, Geneva, and Batavia in Kane County, IL) located on Route 31 along the Fox River to the west of Chicago. Having begun preliminary research, I learned that about 200 of the immigrants joined Swedish American churches in Batavia. I'm in contact with organizations in the province of Halland. It's a good beginning.    

2025 Swedish Days in Geneva.

 Swedish American author Lilly Setterdahl will be present with a variety of her books about Swedes in America, nonfiction, contemporary, and historical fiction, including her two latest books: The Pioneer Woman (Book 1) and The Good Stepdaughter (Book 2) in the series "Pioneering Women." Book 3 will be "The Abused Wife." Come early for the best selection and a signature by the author.  

April 10, 2025. The second book in the series, Pioneering Woman is The Good Stepdaughter, to be released on May 1, 2025. The third book, "The Abused Wife" will be the most dramatic in the series. You don't want to miss these historically enlightening books set on the Illinois frontier in the last part of the 19th Century. 

Book Launch and Signing

The Good Stepdaughter

Historical Fiction

A PERFECT GIFT FOR MOTHER’S DAY

May 3, 2025, 11 to 3 p.m.

The Gift Box

310 West State Street, Geneva, IL

Meet the author and get an autographed copy.

The Good Stepdaughter is a brand-new book by the prolific Illinois author Lilly Setterdahl

Collect the series!

Book 1, The Pioneer Woman (2024) 

Book 2, The Good Stepdaughter (2025)

Book 3, The Abused Wife (upcoming)

The Good Stepdaughter continues the family saga of Kristina in The Pioneer Woman. The protagonist is the young and beautiful Victorian woman, Margaret Forsell, whose Swedish roots go back to New Sweden, Delaware, founded in the 17th century.  She sets her goals high and is determined to make a difference in a man’s world. She gets along well with her stepmother, Kristina, until something unexpected happens that creates a conflict between them. Margaret wants it all—marriage, children, and a meaningful occupation. Will the laws of the time permit her to compete with professional men?   

 The royalty-free image, "Young Victorian woman in a blue dress," is from Dreamtime. The Good Stepdaughter continues the saga of my well-received novel, The Pioneer Woman (Book 1, 2024). The protagonist in Book 2 is the young and beautiful Margaret Forsell. Her Swedish roots go back to New Sweden, Delaware, founded in the 17th century. She gets along well with her Swedish stepmother, Kristina, until something unexpected happens that creates conflict between them. The family supports Margaret in her pursuit of an education as she competes with men, breaks barriers, and falls in love.

Posted February 13, 2025

British Broadcasting Company Interview

Last Monday, I was interviewed for almost one hour by a producer of the program, "Wall to Wall" in the UK which produced the popular program, "Do you know who you are."  The company wanted to do a program about the Swedes on the Titanic and had learned that I wrote a book entitled Not my time to die: The Swedes on board, published by Nordstjernan, New York, in 2012 for the 100th anniversary of the Sinking. The book was endorsed by the president and founder of the Titanic Historical Society, Edward Kamuda, as well as the International Titanic Society. I researched each of the 123 Swedes on board, who made up the third-largest ethnic group on the ill-fated ship. The survivor stories cover some 100 pages. My sources include the American, Swedish, and Swedish-American Press. Descendants and good genealogists have made it possible for me to learn more about the individuals I described in the book. I'm still gaining knowledge about living relatives in Sweden. At this point, I don't know if funding can be obtained for this ambitious project, but I'm ready for it! 

April 17, 2023

On Saturday, April 15 (the date of the Titanic sinking), I had the pleasure of giving a presentation at Karpeles Library and Museum in Rock Island about Swedes on the Titanic.  The museum showed a small but interesting exhibit about the passenger liner that foundered on its maiden voyage in 1912. Visitors could get a ticket to "board" that showed the name of an actual passenger. Then they could also find out if they had survived or not. At 5.30, I spoke about both survivors and victims and how two Swedish families had to decide what to do when they found out that  the husband and father had to stay behind and go down with the ship, according to the marital rule of the time, "Women and Children First." Unfortunately,  there weren't lifeboats for everyone and if there had been enough, there wasn't time to launch them before the Titanic sank. The liner Carpathia arrived several hours later and picked up about 700 survivors shivering from the cold in the lifeboats, rowing toward the distant lights of a ship. Carpathia's Captain Rostron was born in London to Swedish parents. If he hadn't decided to come to change his course and come to the rescue, no one had been saved. The images below show the sign outside Karpeles, me in my Titanic outfit, and my four Titanic books. See more about these books on my blog, http://lillysetterdahl.blogspot.com and amazon.com, and my Facebook page.

Titanic presentation and book signing: East Moline Public Library, May 8, from 2 pm. to 4:00 p.m., 745 16th Avenue, East Moline, IL, 61244. 

July 30, 2023

Current work in progress: Pioneer Women, which I hope will become a trilogy. 

After reading a draft of Volume I, one evaluator wrote: Pioneer Women by Lilly Setterdahl is an epic journey that recounts the struggles for survival from the pre-civil war era of utopianism to the years after when men and women fought the ravages of nature to maintain their foothold on the midwestern prairie. The story spans generations and bridges the hardscrabble past to the coming of age in more modern times. Hardships abound but so does the resilience of the pioneer spirit of those who came looking for a new life. Hard work becomes second nature for these immigrants on their way to becoming Americans. (Mary Davidsaver).

November 1, 2023

I'm at the end of Volume III, so Pioneer Women is already a trilogy on my computer.  It still needs to be proofed and edited.  

Christmas Walk Book Signing at the Gift Box, 301 W. State Street, Geneva, IL 60134

One day only. December 2, 2023, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Come and browse the store, watch a demonstration of Rosemaling, and look at my books on display. I'll be glad to dedicate one to you or as a very affordable Christmas gift to someone else. Choose between fiction and nonfiction, Swedish-American history, the Titanic, drama, romance, or historicals, usually in a Scandinavian or Swedish-American setting. See my latest books on this site and a list of previous ones. Be entertained and learn something at the same time. I will be glad to chat with you in Swedish or English. Welcome!  http://www.amazon.com/Lilly-Setterdahl/e/B001K8FWDG/.sv

January 2, 2024  I'm happy to report that my book, Elisabeth and the Nobleman, has been selected as the book-club-book for February, 2024, by the Swedish American Museum. Here's the link: 

https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/events/

It's an online event on February 24 so it should be easy to join wherever you live. Registration is not open yet. Topic: Book Club "Elisabeth and the Nobleman"
Time: Feb 24, 2024 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Here's  the link:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82168655630?pwd=SWxYNVRxYVovaVVQMFRGUUU1VHA2Zz09

THE PIONEER WOMAN features Kristina, a Swedish-American woman, who is expelled from a utopian colony. Shunned and shamed, her options are few. To be released by amazon.com on July 12, 2024. Will be available at the Gift Box, 310 W. State Street, Geneva, IL 

There was a nice article about my upcoming book in Henderson County Quill on June 26th, 2024.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iM-5LFdVUSOQXjFSNpQEVKze_WBT4_MI/view?usp=sharing

July 2014

THE PIONEER WOMAN is live online. 

Sep. 27, 2024

The Pioneer Woman E-Book is live online. 

https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Woman-Lilly-Setterdahl/dp/B0D8P8GVD9/

Sep. 28, 2024 Announcement

"My Writing Journey"

 Published in the Geneva Township Center October newsletter:

"On Monday, October 14 at 11:00am Center member and accomplished author, Lilly Setterdahl, will share her writing journey. A native of Sweden, Lilly has authored 30 fiction and nonfiction books including a series of four (should be three) novels about the Titanic and more than 20 nonfiction selections related to Swedish immigration to America. Her 30th book The Pioneer Woman, was published this summer. Such an inspiration; don't miss this special member presentation! Bring your questions... A light lunch will be served to attendees after Lilly's talk. Call the Center at 630-232-3602 if you'd like to reserve a spot."  

THE ABUSED WIFE CONFRONTS DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE THROUGH A STORY OF SURVIVAL

AND STRENGTH

Lilly Setterdahl delivers a powerful historical novel following a young woman’s escape from abuse and her journey toward independence and justice. New York, NY, April 8, 2026 — In a compelling and emotionally charged new release, The Abused Wife, author Lilly Setterdahl presents a gripping story that examines the enduring realities of domestic violence through a historical lens. As part of the Pioneering Women series, the novel highlights how struggles faced in the late 1800s continue to resonate in modern society. Readers new to the series may also wish to begin with the earlier installments, The Pioneer Woman, in which the heroine is abused by her husband, and The Good Stepdaughter, where Sophie’s abuse is first introduced.

The story centers on Sophie, a seventeen-year-old determined to escape life on her family’s farm. Drawn by promises of a better future, she elopes with her boyfriend, only to find herself trapped in a relationship built on deception and abuse. What begins as hope quickly turns into a harsh reality as Sophie faces physical and emotional harm while raising her children under constant fear.

Setterdahl does not shy away from the difficult truths of abuse, portraying its impact not only on Sophie, buton her children. As the cycle of violence begins to affect her son, Sophie is forced to confront painful decisions that test her strength and resilience. Her journey reflects the complex emotional and practical challenges faced by those seeking to break free from abusive environments.

Support comes from unexpected places, including strong women within her family who offer protection,

guidance, and the opportunity for a new beginning. Through education and determination, Sophie begins to rebuild her life, discovering a path that leads her toward independence and the possibility of a future in law.