In The Naked Swiss: A Nation Behind 10 Myths, journalist Clare O’Dea promises to change the way the world thinks about modern Switzerland – and give Swiss readers much to think about too. In 10 fact-based chapters O’Dea investigates positive myths of modern Switzerland (The Swiss are Rich/Brilliant/Have the Perfect Democracy) with the same sharp journalistic eye she uses to assess negative ones (The Swiss are Crooked Bankers/Xenophobic/Helped the Nazis). It is a view of Switzerlan...

Seeking a new purpose in life, Swiss widower Ruedi signs up to work with Depart, an assisted dying organisation. His role is to spend time with those who have sought out Depart's services, acting as a guide and companion in their final weeks.Margrit, his crotchety first client, wants only to get on with things. Marking time in a care home, with poor health weighing down on her, she has decided it's time to go. Her family are upset by her choice, but she is determined. By the end of...

An up-to-date guide to Swiss society and current affairs, All About Switzerland features a selection of 29 news and background articles, opinion pieces and personal essays by Clare O'Dea. The articles were first published online between 2022 and 2024 by The Local Switzerland news platform.Author of the bestselling The Naked Swiss: A Nation Behind 10 Myths and the novel Voting Day, Clare O'Dea has been writing about Switzerland for 20 years. In

In February 1959, Switzerland held a referendum on women’s suffrage. The men voted ‘no’.In this powerful novella, Clare O’Dea explores that day through the eyes of four very different Swiss women. Vreni is a busy farmer’s wife, longing for a break from family life. Her grown-up daughter Margrit is carving out an independent life in Bern, but finds herself trapped in an alarming situation. Esther, a cleaner, is desperate to recover her son who has been taken into care. Beatrice, a h...