(A) Because the present participle begins the sentence, it's going to modify subject because its structure in the sentence suggest a modifying phrase. So what comes right after the comma? "in 1909" can not be the subject that is doing the turning....so wrong

(B) The "that" in option B suggests that there is another "first Swedish writer" who didn't win the Nobel Prize for Literature? doesn't make sense

(C) "in 1909 she became the first woman in addition to the first Swedish writer"....so she became the first women in addition to the.... very awkward....

(D) Correct....we have the modifier followed by the appropriate subject "Selma Lagerlöf."

(E) "in 1909 becoming the first woman and also the first Swedish writer that won." - awkwards

Turning away from literary realism to write romantic stories about the peasant life and
landscape of northern Sweden, in 1909 Selma Lagerlöf was the novelist who became the
first woman and was also the first Swedish writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
A. Turning away from literary realism to write romantic stories about the peasant life
and landscape of northern Sweden, in 1909 Selma Lagerlöf was the novelist who
became the first woman and was also the first Swedish writer to win
B. She turned away from literary realism and wrote romantic stories about the
peasant life and landscape of northern Sweden, and novelist Selma Lagerlöf in
1909 became the first woman as well as the first Swedish writer that won
C. Selma Lagerlöf was a novelist who turned away from literary realism to write
romantic stories about the peasant life and landscape of northern Sweden, and in
1909 she became the first woman in addition to the first Swedish writer winning
D. A novelist who turned away from literary realism to write romantic stories about
the peasant life and landscape of northern Sweden, Selma Lagerlöf became in
1909 the first woman and also the first Swedish writer to win
E. As a novelist, Selma Lagerlöf turned away from literary realism and wrote
romantic stories about the peasant life and landscape of northern Sweden, in 1909
becoming the first woman and also the first Swedish writer that won

[spoiler=]OA:D[/spoiler]
a. "was" the novelist..passive...eliminate
b. "she" is too far from selma..eliminate.
c. passive eliminate
d. akward
e. my choice
MY APROACH FOR THIS QUESTION:

ON THE BASIS OF IDIOM FROM X TO Y

U CAN EASILY ELIMINATE B AND E

NOW, ALWAYS START IN full underlined sentences from last option.

D seems ok and parallel.

A and c are redundant and wordy as u wrote.............

Experts correct me if I am wrong.......

This is primarily a modifier question.

A - Wrong modifiers. "Turning away ... Sweden" should modify Selma Lagerlof.

B - Two unrelated clauses have been placed with an "and" in between. There is no logical transition from clause 1 to clause 2.

C - It can't be "winning". It should be "to win". Why not winning? I don't know clearly that I can explain but it doesn't sound right to me.

D - Right

E - "in 1909 becoming ... won" is modifying Sweden. It should modify Selma.