From Dramaten's grand stage to a late ADHD diagnosis — Sara Sommerfeld on being a "failure" as a mother

A whole life lived with sky-high expectations, success at Dramaten and on the silver screen, yet with constant inner stress and a secret self-hatred. Actress and author Sara Sommerfeld is now releasing the contemporary novel Is everything I believed about becoming a mother a lie? It's a raw and brutally honest story inspired by her own late ADHD diagnosis at age 47, a life of masking, and the deeply personal struggle of parenting a neurodivergent child.

«I wanted to explore what happens when the woman with the polished facade can no longer run from everything to find herself — because she's become a mother. The writing process has been both a painful and healing journey through my own shame and sense of inadequacy as a mother, partner and professional, but above all it's about settling the score with your own inner achiever and having the courage to embrace every part of yourself.»

— Sara Sommerfeld

When Ester's son struggles at school, everyday life turns into a minefield. She's forced to fight a school system not built for children who don't fit the mould, all while trying to do what she's always done: perform her way through the crisis and be good enough. In the middle of the fight, the longing grows for the woman she once was before she became the "mom robot." The harder she fights for her child, the clearer it becomes that she's losing herself.

The novel shines a light on a widespread and overlooked women's health issue: how high-functioning women are expected to hold the facade together at all costs, while crumbling on the inside. It reflects the fact that ADHD has a heritability of around 70–80 percent, meaning thousands of adult women today are only diagnosed once their own children are being assessed. It becomes a story about psychiatric care that overlooks "good girls" because of their ability to overcompensate, and about parents forced to become project managers and firefighters for their own children.

«The book is my personal protest against a school system that fails the children who don't fit in. It's written with a brisk pace and a good dose of humour, despite the searing seriousness underneath.»

— Sara Sommerfeld

About the author

Sara Sommerfeld is an actress, director, playwright and author, with a Guldbagge Award nomination to her name. Since her breakthrough in Vingar av glas alongside Alexander Skarsgård, she has appeared in around fifty film, TV and stage productions, including Hem till Midgård, Tsatsiki and Beck – advokaten. Most recently she starred in the critically acclaimed solo show Show Bizniz at Dramaten's main stage, which will also air on SVT in 2025. Her debut novel, Is everything I learned about love a lie?, sold more than 20,000 copies and was a finalist for Feelgood Book of the Year. In autumn 2026, Sara will tour with a new stage show and author talks based on the new novel.

Is everything I believed about becoming a mother a lie? is released on October 6, 2026, published by LeBen Books. A limited number of signed copies will be available for pre-order from June 17.