A World Gone Mad: The Diaries of Astrid Lindgren, 1939-45

Description

'God help our poor planet in the grip of this madness!'As one of the world's most famous children's writers, Astrid Lindgren championed the qualities of courage, hope, love and resistance; and her preoccupation with these qualities was already in evidence in the diaries she kept during the Second World War, long before she achieved her fame. Her diary, published now for the first time in English, provides a fascinating insight into a Europe poisoned by fascism, racism and violence, from the point of view of not only an employee of the Swedish Mail Censorship Office, but also of a wife, mother and budding writer living in a formally neutral country.In them, she asks questions which are as keenly and distressingly important today as they were in 1939-45: What is Good, what is Evil? What do we do, when jingoism and racism determine the thoughts and actions of humans? How can we, as individuals, take a stand against such malevolent forces?Alongside the day's political events, Lindgren's intelligent and perceptive diaries include charming and moving descriptions of her domestic life, as well as of her first writing attempts: it was during this terrible period that she composed Pippi Longstocking, one of the most famous, enduring and widely translated children's books of the twentieth century.

Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) is the third most translated writer for children (after Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm), and her books have sold more than 144 million copies worldwide. She became famous in her country almost overnight, with the publication of the first Pippi Longstocking books in 1945, and was awarded numerous honours, including the Hans Christian Andersen medal (twice) and the Gold Medal of the Swedish Academy in 1971.

Lindgren doesn't experience the same privations as her European neighbours, of course; nevertheless the conflict is hugely formative for her, both psychologically and morally... Her appreciation of the individual cost of such large-scale suffering is striking Observer In crisp, limpid sentences (deftly translated into English by Sarah Death), Lindgren narrates all the news of the war as it arrives in her peaceful bit of Stockholm... oddly cheering Guardian The diaries make for crisp, painful and perspective-refreshing reading Spectator It offers a remarkable portrait of domestic life in a country maintaining a fragile peace while war raged all around New Statesman Lindgren displays immense compassion for others, on both sides... The diaries often become deeply contemplative Financial Times Sensitive, wide-ranging and offer a rare Scandinavian perspective on the catastrophe of the Nazi war Wall Street Journal Astrid Lindgren's A World Gone Mad is something out of the ordinary: the great Swedish children's writer observing in a diary the progress of World War II as it affected her Nordic homeland' -- Philip Pullman New York Times Compelling, intelligent, entertaining -- Meike Ziervogel Guardian, Independent Publishers' Picks of the Year The creator of Pippi Longstocking reveals her very personal take on WWII Gransnet Lindgren emerges as a morally courageous critic of violence and war Total Politics An educational and engaging read Bookbag Lindgren's diaries show a compassionate and curious woman trying to fathom the horrors of war through her writing, and leaving behind a wonderful insight into life during a global conflict The National A wonderful and, in place, heart-rending account of World War II, from a perspective not usually prioritised in historical retellings Elle Thinks (blog) A trove of a book, crammed with gem-like observations and truth The National magazine She compassionately, carefully and meticulously documents the horror which was spreading across Europe... these diaries... offer a unique insight into everyday life in Sweden in the shadow of war, and into Lindgren's thoughts on Nazi Germany Zeit The war diaries are marked by fear, astonishment and empathy... breathtaking Die Welt A fascinating, engrossing, and wholly unique account of a young writer's attempts to make sense of World War II, from the local concerns of food rationing and the well-being of her children to the larger theatre of war unfolding in Europe, Africa, and Asia. -- Morten Hoi Jensen The newly published 1939-1945 diaries of the globally acclaimed children's book author offer fresh insights into war-time Sweden and into the life of the not-yet-famous Astrid Lindgren Radio Sweden A fascinating time-machine. "Then" becomes "now" -- Per Svensson Sydsvenska Dagbladet