I’ve always been a bookworm and find it comforting to be surrounded by books. Almost any time we go on holiday we have to explore at least one bookshop, and I’m not very good at leaving them empty-handed… Even our recent weekend in France resulted in a book coming back with me - and my French really isn’t up to much at all!
Reading is also a very important aspect of my self-care; it really doesn’t matter too much what I read, as long as I have at least one book on the go and regularly make time for it. There’s usually a book or two in my handbag (currently Let’s Talk About Death Over Dinner by Michael Hebb, and 12 Birds to Save Your Life by Charlie Corbett), one (or more) on my bedside table (The Prophet and the Idiot by Jonas Jonasson), one by the settee (Folk som sår i snö by Tina Harnesk), and probably a few others with a random bookmark somewhere in them!
I've made good progress on my TBR 'pile' (aka multiple piles, a shelf, and random books in other places) through this year, although I've bought 7 books in the current month alone, so I'm definitely not in danger of reaching the end of it any time soon...
For my Advanced Reader challenge, I decided to keep a log and write a short review of everything I read over the six months from September to March, so here are the latest:
Je m’appelle Agnetha by Emma Hamberg
A few years ago I read the Rosengädda series by Emma Hamberg, and having not been convinced that her crime writing would be quite my style, was pleased this summer to discover she has a couple more non-crime books out. Je m’appelle Agnetha tells the story of a woman whose children have grown up and left home, getting in touch only to ask for money, whose husband’s obsession with living a Healthy Life is not an interest she shares, and whose job is dull and routine. When she impulsively responds to an advert apparently seeking an au pair to work in a small Provençale village, she embarks upon not just a journey to another country, but a journey of self-discovery.
This was a very enjoyable read - entertaining and moving. Agnetha’s struggle to find herself, and embrace her own reality is balanced with the security and self-confidence of those around her. Friends and found-family help her to be her real self, as she in turn tries to help them. Her joy in finding herself, and uncertainty about how to be herself in her Real Life may well resonate with many empty nesters of a similar age, wondering how to start reclaiming their own lives - although hopefully for most of us, our own voyages of discovery won’t be quite as literal or tumultuous!
Dear Mrs Bird by A J Pearce
I have looked at this one quite a number of times in the past few years, but only this week did it make its way into my actual purchases - and oh how I wish I’d discovered it sooner! Emmeline, a young woman living in 1940s London with her best friend, has journalistic ambitions and dreams of becoming a War Correspondent for a major newspaper. Things don’t go quite to plan, however, and she finds herself taking a job at a women’s magazine. Here, she sees the letters being written to Mrs Bird, the somewhat unsympathetic and strict advice columnist and Editress, and finds herself longing to be able to help the writers.
As her personal and professional worlds collide, Emmy has to deal with a heartbreaking situation and the consequences of her previous choices. She, like many young women of her time, is torn between wanting to serve her country, feeling that just maintaining a stiff upper lip, and carrying on with life isn’t enough - and feeling utterly unequipped to do anything of significance.
This was a compelling read - although it’s quite a light book really, A J Pearce deftly adds depth to the characters and portrays the fear and worries of wartime London. There were a couple of moments which felt slightly anachronistic to me (although I freely admit I’m no historian so am likely wrong!), but in general the style of writing felt wonderfully chummy and believable. Emmy quickly became someone I'd like to be friends with, and indeed I’m definitely planning on getting the other books in the series so I can find out what happens to her next.
Som om jag inte fanns by Kerstin Johansson i Backe
This is a heartrending tale of a young girl living in a Finnish region of Sweden in the 1930s, when speaking Finnish in schools was banned, and the Swedish government implemented a programme of cultural homogenisation, aiming to bring Finno-Swedes, Sami and others into what they felt was the Swedish way of life - very much like the British government's attempts to anglicise the Welsh and Scottish. Elina, the girl at the centre of this book, finds Swedish very difficult - and her teacher moves from impatience to anger and disdain.
As school gets harder and crueller, Elina withdraws further into herself. Her father died a few years earlier, so when she can escape from household chores, Elina takes herself off to the marshes that she used to visit with him, as she feels his comforting spirit here, as well as a number of other imaginary nature friends. Sometimes she feels its as though she didn’t really exist.
No-one understands Elina, and her isolation is overwhelming. Seen through a modern lens, her teacher is clearly not just harsh, but actively abusive, and Elina is mute rather than stubbornly silent. She wants to be able to communicate, but simply isn’t able to form the words or make her voice sound. Eventually matters come to a head, Elina realises that her life and existence do matter, and those around her are able to show her that they care and support her.
The book reaches a satisfyingly positive conclusion, but it’s not really a happy ending. I’m not sure whether it’s strictly autobiographical or fictionalised - but either way, this isn’t just one girl’s story; it’s the story of countless children in countless societies and cultures, whose own heritage is being deliberately obliterated by others. And the lasting damage done to individuals, communities, societies, and cultures in the name of ‘progress’ is as terrible now as it always has been.
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