A Nature Book Reader
KEVIN PEARCE Writing. Music. Connections
The Summer Book by Tove Jannson The most precious things are often those we find by chance. I stumbled across a copy of The Summer Book by Tove Jannson while looking for something ‘light’ to read in the local library. It was the title that attracted me. I don’t think at the time I made a connection between the author and the Moomin books of my youth. I borrowed it, devoured it, and have often returned to it. I am not a great reader of nature books. I hate stories of disenchanted city folk who have retreated to pastures new and feel compelled to share their experiences. It’s all so forced. But there is a beautiful simplicity and naturalness about this ‘adult’ book by Tove Jannson. It’s really a collection of strikingly stark tales about a girl of six and her contrary
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grandmother, and the time they spend together on their small island in the gulf of Finland. It’s so much more than that though. And it makes me desperately want to visit that island. It makes me want to hug that old grandmother and hear some of her words of wisdom. It makes me want to copy chunks of text out which I can chuckle over at leisure. And it makes me want to buy copies to give to loved ones.