Next Book: The Summer Book

 

Our next book is The Summer Book, written in 1972 by Tove Jansson, the Finnish author, illustrator and comic strip artist best known for her Moomin children's books. The book uses a series of vignettes to tell the story of a 6 year old girl and her elderly grandmother and mostly unseen father as they spend the summer in a small cottage in the Finnish archipelago. The story is simple and the language spare (the book's 184 pages), but there's a lot going on. As the girl learns about life, the grandmother comes to terms with the end of hers. All three grieve a significant loss, each in their own ways. But it's not all sad - there are also funny bits, about a visitor who outstays her welcome, spying on new neighbors. Here's a link to a bunch of reviews.

I found paperback copies online several places, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Target.

The Audible version is $13.99 and 4.5 hours long.

The Moomin website celebrated the 50th anniversary of the book's publication by issuing a special edition, and commemorative poster and tote!

At our last meeting, we talked about other books with stories that span the summer. This one's a perfect way to say goodbye to the season, short enough to finish over the Labor Day long weekend. We also mentioned Dandelion Wine, a Ray Bradbury classic. I misremembered the timeline of another book about a child dealing with loss. Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era, by Sterling North, takes place not over a summer but over the year he rescues and raises a baby raccoon. It won a bunch of awards, including the 1964 Newberry Honor for children's literature.

Our next meeting is Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7 pm. See you then!