The Sculptor's Daughter

The Sculptor's Daughter / Tove Jansson; translated from the Swedish by Kingsley Hart
New York : William Morrow, 2014, c1969
192 p.

I read this charming memoir at Christmas, which was suitable because it's so dreamy -- I think looking back at childhood suits the nostalgic nature of the season. Also because this book ends with a chapter about Christmas in Tove Jansson's home (also her parents' studio), featuring a large Christmas tree & an unusual celebration of the season.

I dipped into it again recently so I could share it, and it is just as fascinating on a second look. Tove Jansson (probably best known for the Moomins) was an interesting woman. A visual artist and a writer, she was a Swedish speaking Finn, and lived with her partner Tuulikki Pietilä for over 30 years. 

In this short memoir, she shares memories from her young childhood in short, discrete chapters. Each one shares a moment told in the perspective of a child -- they are startling and dreamy, unexpected and strange. Her imagination turns a carpet into a rolling sea, a small grove into a chapel, and more. 

There is also a lot about her upbringing in a family of artists and nonconformist types. Her father was a sculptor and her mother a successful graphic designer who among other things designed bank notes and stamps for the government. And her mother supported the family financially through this work. Tove's parents both hoped for their children to also become artists and supported their creative explorations with freedom to wander, think, and make as children. This tendency comes through strongly when you read the Moomin stories, where the family is a strong unit but everyone can do their own thing as they wish to. 

Reading this is fascinating because Jansson's voice is so particular. She is able to create a vivid setting in just a few words, and is able to convey the felt experience of childhood in these essays, not just recalling them but re-experiencing them. The 'aliveness' in them is arresting. 

If you have any interest in Tove Jansson, or in shared childhood stories, this is definitely one you'll want to read. It's a life that is so different from modern childhood, but one that seems universally appealing. I really liked it.