Notes from an Island by Tove Jansson & Tuulikki Pietilä comprises a short memoir and journal entries, translated by Thomas Teal. I was drawn to it as I had loved the Moomins when I was a child, and the other reason is that the audio, 1 hour and 30 minutes long, is narrated by the fabulous Sandy Toksvig, who immersed me in this fascinating and atmospheric glimpse into the private and personal life of Jannson and her partner, 'Tooti'. They build a home on the cold, wild, and bleak tiny island of Klovharun, located in the Gulf of Finland, revelling in the isolation, the land, and seascape and the inspiration it provides for them. There are descriptions of their daily lives and their antics through the years. I fell for the character of Brunström who helps them build their home, blasting away the rock. A brilliant book I am sure, I certainly adored Toksvig's narration, pity it was all too short! Many thanks to Saga Egmont Audio for the ALC.

As a lover of islands, I was drawn to this audiobook from the title alone, plus Jansson is a writer I knew little about apart from being the creator of the Moomins! 'Notes from an island’ is a short but thoroughly enjoyable audiobook. Its translation into English gives the UK listener a glimpse into the personal life of Tove Jansson and her partner ‘Tooti’ Pietilä as they built a summer residence together on the small remote uninhabited island of Klovharu in the early 60s. The book moves through 30 years of life together and has a very intimate and poetic feel.

It is part diary and part memoir, with descriptive entries from Tove and input from Tooti, plus in the first part also has brief, no-nonsense diary entries from Brunström, a fisherman who helped with the build. It makes for a very personal and fascinating insight into life on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland and the joys and problems this can cause. I especially loved the descriptions of their day-to-day life and spur of the moment activities such as making kites or searching the sea for reportedly lost alcohol!

I found it really interesting that nowhere in the book does Tove shout about her fame as an artist/ writer. If you didn’t know who it was about then you would never know. I think this makes the book feel all the more personal. However, even though it clearly wasn’t originally intended for publication, I think for the UK listener who might not be as familiar with the life of Jansson, would appreciate some historical notes at the end to provide some context. Afterwards I found myself googling their life on the island to clarify certain things/ people mentioned which weren’t introduced properly / made clear in the book.

Sandi Toksvig does a brilliant job narrating & really brings the warmth, humour and poetic descriptions to life. I would thoroughly recommend this short but fascinating book to fans of the Moomins or anyone who wishes for island life!

A beautiful and poetic prayer celebrating nature and the wildness of life. Like two hippies living in a commune, the found family of Jansson and Pietilä help them build and strengthen a life of freedom.

Notes from an Island by Tove Jansson & Tuulikki Pietilä and narrated by Sandi Toksvig is a short listen but a beautiful one. As a GenXr who was absolutely in love with the Moomins, I jumped at the chance to listen to this audiobook which was co-authored by the artist of one of my favourite childrens books of all time

The couple want peace and quiet, a home away from others where they can be their true selves and live their art. They are determined to build their home and while the first is overrun by curious fans, they do not lose hope and go on to try again in a harsh and unforgiving environment, but warmed by their relationship and creativity

An absolutely wonderful audiobook and highly recommended

Thank you to Netgalley, Saga Egmont Audio, the author Tove Jansson & Tuulikki Pietilä and narrator Sandi Toksvig for this ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Why would someone choose to live on a piece of rock off the coast of Finland? A deserted island, no trees, only her and her partner, building a cabin of their own in the middle of nowhere. Don't expect an answer to that question. It is a memoir, a kind of biography, yet the author doesn't share any personal details, thoughts or reasons with us. This is an impersonal report of events, punctuated by a list of items required for the building of the cabin here, and a list of stock kept in one of the rooms of the cabin there. The wind blows, the birds are flying, the sea is vast.
A strange little book.

This is a fascinating short memoir by Tove Jansson, when she and her friend lived on a completely remote island in Scandinavia. I can't even imagine the work and the isolation and the adventure! Tove Jansson has a beautiful, haunting writing voice and Sandy Tokvig is one of my favorite people so the audiobook is a delight!
I highly recommend this to pretty much anyone!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio ARC!

Tove Jansson was a well known Swedish speaking Finnish author/illustrator whose charming memoir Notes from an Island highlights over thirty years where she and her life partner Tuulikki (Tooti) Pietala spent six months out of each year on a remote atoll 30 miles west of Helsinki.
Jansson is best known for her creation of the Moomintroll family which are beloved children’s books
widely translated into many languages. Tooti, one of Finland’s great graphic artists also benefited from the experience of living in such a wild place. In sparse prose Jansson chronicles the discovery of the atoll and the decision with help from a group of local seaman to construct a sturdy cabin where the couple lived, wrote , fished and drew inspiration for their joint artistic efforts. The reader receives a unique glimpse into the sometimes humorous and challenging life of living on a rocky outcropping in the middle of a rough sea. While previously available only in print this new audio edition is brilliantly interpreted by Sandi Toksvig whose expressive voice handles the challenges of the many Finnish words intertwined in the text.

I absolutely loved this short listen and was so captivated, by the story and the telling, that I listened to it in one sitting. Sandi Toksvig was perfect as the narrator, her Scandinavian background allowing her to add depth to the narrative and pronunciation. This is a memoir of dedication and love in isolation. I had no idea that Tove gave the world the Moomins and I shall view those creatures in a different context, Tove and Tooti want to work on their artistic projects away from people. .Their first attempt fails because the isolated aspect becomes so popular with visitors that some stay….They find another skerry and set about building a cabin and this is the story of that work against the odds. The descriptions really capture the stark reality of life on the edge of a cold and bleak ocean. I loved the intimate detail about carving a tiny wooden salt spoon; one can sense their dedication, perseverance and talent. It’s haunting and memorable and although short, it’s profound.

It was a pleasant book to listen to. The authors just simply wrote about their lives living on an island, connecting with nature, and enjoying their peaceful lives. It somehow reflected how Nordic live and enjoy their lives which was pretty different from the other memoirs I have read before.

Since it was such a simple book, I felt it lacked the introspective part. Therefore, it was not memorable for me.

Thanks NetGalley, Saga Egmont Audio, and the authors for a great advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!