Soul-Happy: A Viking Woman's Long Road Home

by Anette Nilsson

Overview

A must-read for the millions who suffer from chronic illness, Soul-Happy is an inspiring and poetic account of navigating away from shame and life-threatening disease and into redemption and grace through a commitment to hard truths and unconditional love.

Nette Nilsson has big dreams and is in the midst of pursuing them—starting by leaving Denmark to attend university in Toronto, Canada—when she falls for a beguiling but volatile American. Their romance moves fast, and in what seems like no time she finds herself living a privileged but deeply unhappy life in New York with her now-husband, Cal. After suffering for too long, she finally begins to find her way onto a better path—only to be abruptly faced with a life-threatening physical condition. To survive and to heal, Nette must confront dark family lies and her hidden traumas and find her own power again.

In an era of increasing awareness regarding how many strong, intelligent women ignore their gut and lose themselves—and the lives they dream of having—when they become entangled with toxic men, Soul-Happy illuminates the underlying reasons for one promising young woman’s downhill slide after she falls for “the wrong kind of love,” and follows her harrowing battle to put herself back together again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798896361046
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	03/24/2026
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Anette Nilsson was raised in Denmark and spent most of her adult life in Toronto and New York. She has a dual degree in political science and criminology from University of Toronto and studied for her MA in education at Queens College, CUNY. She founded a tech consulting firm in Minneapolis, has taught IT and English, and is the author of a children’s book about three friends on an adventure with a magical raft. It is her vice to want to move to each new place she visits. Anette resides in Denmark and Port Washington, New York.

Editorial Reviews

Anette’s story is an empowering example of what we can overcome when we redefine what true healing and living means.”—Amy B. Scher, author of This is How I Save My Life and the How to Heal series

“Anette Nilsson’s Soul-Happy is a must-read, brilliantly written memoir that demystifies the connection between the soul and physical healing. Her harrowing journey will leave an indelible mark on your own soul. From cover to cover, I couldn’t put it down.”—Kiersten Hathcock, author of Little Voices: How Kids in Spirit Helped a Reluctant Medium Escape and Heal from Abuse and cofounder of The National Institute for Law and Justice

“The strength of this work is your presence, your voice, your honesty, and your wisdom. You’re a gifted writer who has been to the edge and lived to tell about it. Reading your memoir is like reading a novel of courage and survival.”—Bonnie Hearn Hill, author of If Anything Should Happen and Presumed Guilty

“With penetrating candor and searing insight, Anette Nilsson, a gifted writer, explores her profound experience of self-denial, illness, loss and grief as an entry point into understanding the breakdown of her own life and body. . . . a raw and real read through Nilsson’s journey of being broken open to uncover the ways in which truth heals and love and forgiveness can be received.”—Bridgitte Jackson-Buckley, author of The Gift of Crisis and lead writer for Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday website

“Anette’s story is a page-turner detailing a journey of physical, emotional, and spiritual growth. An engaging and easy-to-read memoir that empowers us all to remember healing is possible.”—Dr. Melanie Joy, PhD, holistic health practitioner

“This is a memoir of sharp contrasts and deep truths: Denmark and America, privilege and loss, health and illness, falling apart and finding one’s way back. What shines brightest is Nilsson’s hard-won courage and resilience. Her story is both deeply personal and broadly resonant for anyone navigating loss and reinvention.”—Lori Erickson, author of The Soul of the Family Tree and Every Step is Home

“I’ve read a lot of memoirs about women who got caught in bad relationships, but few are as honest, sharp, and ultimately uplifting as this one. Full of humor, hard-won insight, and fierce Nordic resilience, this is a book about what happens when you stop trying to be perfect and start telling the truth.”—Kay Xander Mellish, author of How to Live in Denmark and Working with Danes

From the Publisher