Safe Return Doubtful

translated from the Swedish by Alexander Chee

Tove Jannson, a Finn who wrote in Swedish, was best known for her children’s books, The Moomins series, which she began in 1945. These may be her claim to fame, but she had a darker and more humorous heart; “I could vomit all over the Moomins”, she once told the BBC. Indeed, as the series continued, as it did until 1970, the plots became darker, as the family is threatened by floods, and even a comet.

Jannson’s other writing was less know, other than The Summer Book which describes the summer stay on an island of a young girl and her grandmother. She was also an illustrator and cartoonist.

In 1956 she met her lifelong partner, Tuulikki Pietilä, known as ‘Tooti’, a graphic artist. Though they both lived in Helsinki, they lived apart, so they could meet unnoticed. To get over this hurdle, they built a cabin on a deserted island in the Gulf of Finland, Klovharu, and this is the story of the 26 years that they lived there. A problem in Helsinki had been Tove’s mother, known as Ham, from whom they felt it necessary to keep their relationship a secret. However, Ham does of course visit them on Klovharu.

This is a beautifully written book. As simple as life is on the island, it is physically demanding b maintaining the boat, chopping driftwood for fuel, preparing for winter, and keeping the generator going, and this only after building was complete.

This is a story of love, for each other, their art, and for their island home, and of inspiration for their work. The ending in particular is very affecting.

It is one of Jannson’s last pieces of work, written when she was 82; she died in 2001, four years later. After that, Tooti put together hours of Super 8 film for a documentary called Haru: The Island of the Solitary, which, on completing the book, is well worth seeing.

We dreamed about what our new cabin would look like. The room would have four windows, one in each wall. Towards the south-east we’d need to see the big storms that rage right across the island, on the east we’d see the moon’s reflection in the lagoon, and on the west side a rock face with moss and polypody ferns. To the north, we’ll keep watch for approaching boats so we’ll have time to get ready.

My GoodReads score 4 / 5