he Bird Within Me is a stunning story (beautifully translated from Swedish), inspired by the paintings, letters and diaries of the late artist Berta Hansson. Growing up in rural Sweden in the early part of the 20th Century, Berta does not fit in her agricultural family. Expected to think of nothing more than helping in the fields and becoming a housewife, Berta instead has huge dreams – amorphous dreams that she cannot even put into words – of a bigger life, the life of an artist. When her mother dies of TB, the one voice encouraging her to aspire to more is lost and the days begin to merge and pass without hope. Luckily, some small snippets of encouragement, from her uncle and the local doctor, keep her spirit alive, until finally she breaks free and lets the bird within herself fly…