In this, the 9th episode of The Nordic Reader podcast, we discuss Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book. First published in Swedish in 1972, it has been translated into English by Thomas Teal.
Tove Jansson is probably Finland’s most famous author, known as the creator of the now-iconic Moomins. Part of the Swedish speaking minority in Finland, she was a notable illustrator and painter, as well as a writer. She published her first Moomin book in 1945. It was an immense success, and she followed it up with several more books in close succession.
In this episode, we talk about one of her most well-known books for adults, The Summer Book. Set on an island in the Finnish archipelago, The Summer Book tells the story of a grandmother and her six year old granddaughter, Sofia, who is staying with her over the summer. Through a series of short chapters, Tove Jansson captures the adventures, discussions and moments that grandmother and granddaughter experience over the course of the summer.
Books mentioned:
The Summer Book - Tove Jansson
A Winter Book - Tove Jansson
The Ministry of Time - Kaliane Bradley
The Diary of a Madman - Nikolay Gogol
The Kiss - Anton Chekov
Lowest Common Denominator - Pirkko Saisio
Introduction read by Hanna Todd
Host and producer: Mia Todd
Co-host: Francis Neale
Editing and marketing: Hanna Todd
