isaksson was born in stockholm in 1916, the daughter of knut lundberg and greta brasch, who was a member of the immanuelkyrkan church; this gave isaksson's upbringing a strong religious character, something that marked her early novels. isaksson graduated from high school in 1937; she then began studying philosophy. the next year she married david isaksson. she was awarded the honorary degree of doctor of philosophy in 1978.