The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Summary of The Summer Book   In this beloved Finnish novella, six-year-old Sophia and her grandmother spend the summer on a rocky island in the Gulf of Finland. They talk about life, death, and everything in between – but, out of love and concern for each other,...
Under the North Star by Väinö Linna

Under the North Star by Väinö Linna

Summary of Under the North Star   “Under the North Star” is the first book in a trilogy by Väinö Linna, with the second book titled “The Uprising” and the third “Reconciliation”. The series chronicles the lives of several generations of a Finnish family from the...
People in the Summer Night by Frans Emil Sillanpää

People in the Summer Night by Frans Emil Sillanpää

Summary of People in the Summer Night   In his novella “People in the Summer Night”, Sillanpää portrays a sequence of events unfolding over a midsummer night in the early 1930s in the Finnish countryside. The novel weaves together various scenes such as young...
The Brothers Seven by Aleksis Kivi

The Brothers Seven by Aleksis Kivi

Summary of The Brothers Seven   “The Brothers Seven” is an engaging 19th century novel that follows the adventures of seven brothers who grow up in the Finnish countryside. They spend their time evading school, fighting, drinking, and sharing extravagant stories...
Absolution by Aleš Šteger

Absolution by Aleš Šteger

Summary of Absolution   Aleš Šteger’s novel “Absolution” unfolds during the 2012 Carnival season, when the Slovenian city of Maribor was serving as the European Capital of Culture. Set against this vibrant but politically charged background, the story unfolds how...