Who was the maiden with candles in her hair? This interesting book traces her history, the legends, and the present Lucia Day's tie to pagan folklore, finally taking you through to modern traditions. You'll also find tips, recipes, and songs for celebrating your own Lucia Day on December 13, a simple but charming opener to the Christmas season. This book is quite suitable to read-aloud to the whole family.

this book is absolutely amazing. it gives in detail and easy to follow instructions the how to's of the Saint Lucia celebration in Sweden. i especially like hearing about the origin of the Saint and why Sweden has honored her for so long. another bonus of this incredible book is the recipe's at the end. it is a sweet surprise indeed! the author gives step by step instructions on how to prepare your own Lucia celebration, and tips to help it be fun and beautiful. and for those of us with swedish heritage it is especially nice to find Lucia songs in english AND swedish. all in all a wonderful read.

The Magic Lantern is not a page turner. The autobiography of the swedish film director Ingmar Bergman is the kind of book that needs time to be read, not because its boring or too deep, but because its so good so enjoyable and every chapter so wonderful that its a shame to finish it too quickly. The Magic Lantern is the life of Bergman but he hardly writes about his movies, he writes about his childhood, his life in the theater, the women of his life, his relationships with his children, his health, politics... this book will help you understand one of the greatest filmmakers of our time.

This book is a moving, candid account of the great director's often turbulent life. It is written the same way that his films are made: full of humor and tender observation. I was deeply touched by it and inspired by his creative spirit.

I typed "Karin Anckarsvard" into the Amazon[.com] search engine because I loved her books as a preteen and am now seeking them for my daughter. The "Mysterious Schoolmaster" was the first of her novels which I read, and I found the characters fun and believable. Of course, as a youngster I loved it that the children got to foil the plans of a schoolmaster (principal).

In a small coastal town in Sweden, school friends Cecilia and Michael band together to thwart a ring of spies who threaten their country's security. Full of humor and interesting glimpses into mid twentieth century small town Swedish life, this is a compelling mystery which has stood the test of time.

This book is a treasure of neoclassicism in Sweden. It is supported by sensible (not gushy interior design talk) text and is logically sequenced.

The pictures and additional material is excellent; although the lighting in some of the photographs is less than perfect.

This is an inspirational reference for the topic.

This is another great book for Swedish decorative detail .A great asset in the decorative artist`s Library.A good source for Bolander`s beautiful wall murals. Great photography with excellent detail shots .A beautiful and knowledgable book. I am a decorative artist specializing in custom painted furniture for decorators and designers and have found this book to be a great resource and very helpful in my work.

This fine book is a compilation of the life experiences of wonderful old and new traditions of the people in Sweden. The author dedicated her life to the instruction of Svenska (the Language) and the everyday happenings in Sweden. Though is was written several years ago, it is timeless and always in fashion. The tome is divided into many chapters that are easy to read in that myths and maps as well as traditions and festivities are all introduced to the reader. Ms. Lorenzen was my beloved teacher in Minnesota, where she taught at the University and the American-Swedish Institute for many years.

Although of no Swedish descent, I enjoyed this book thoroughly; since I like to read about different nationalities. But of course the Swedes must like it more for some of the language, which only they can understand.

Over The Waves is an splendidly written historical novel for young readers ages 9 and older and provides a look at Swedish-American culture and the tense times around the world at the beginning of World War I. During the summer of 194, 12 year old Joel Peterson wants to become a newspaper reporter. But his father believes Joel is not old enough to make such a big decision about his future. To prove himself, Joel offers to escort his mother on a visit to see her parents in Sweden. He promises to get her there and home again safely. But when war breaks out, all ship travel back to America is canceled as German submarines and mines threaten the safety of ships at sea. Joel finds he must really hustle to make good on his promise. Over The Waves is based on the true life adventures of author Marianne Olson's emigrant grandmother and will hold great appeal for her readers.

I found this book to be very interesting, informative, and highly entertaining. I never found a weak spot where you were bored or wanted to skip pages. The story constantly moves. There was always something interesting happening, which made it hard to put the book down. Also, the author has an excellant way of describing smells and events that revolve around the characters. It made you feel as if you were right with the characters. Toward the ending, you are uncertain how the story is going to finish. The author finishes the story very well, and in a interesting way. I would highly recommend this book for reading for kids as well as adults. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to Marianne Olson's next novel. You definately get your money's worth and more.

A page-turner on populism. I cannot recommend it enough

Probably the best book on Populism ever written

Boose has pulled together a wonderful collection of stories from the oral tradition all five of the Scandinavian Countries and it is that that makes this collection unique and valuable. It combines the work of the likes of Anderson of Denmark, Asbjornsen of Norway and Djurklou of Sweden as well as other less prolific folklorists.Notation occurs in the Introduction in more narrative form which is a bit hard to access when you are interested in only one of the stories. I would have prefered a more accessable arrangement. The stories have been retained in oral lanquage and are in very tellable form. If you only want one book of tales from these countries or want a place to start this is clearly the book.

Excellent variety of stories. Some parents may find some of the stories too graphic regarding witches and trolls, etc. Some of the stories are just plain fun and the imagery is excellent. A good book to share with children or for recalling stories from a Scandinavian childhood.

55 years ago, when I was in first grade, I could hardly wait for the bookmobile to come every-other week, so that I could check out this book or others in the series. Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and Flicka, Ricka and Dicka had many wonderful adventures and the illustrations are beautiful. I was always happy after reading one of these books and thought of them often over the years when my children were growing up.

How thrilled I was to see them back in print! The stories are simple, yet each one sends a message of value to a child.

Grandparents, your little ones should have the joy of visiting with Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka.

My grandma first read this book to me when I was four (many, many years ago). She died not long after, but the name of this favorite book always stayed with me and I searched high and low for it. Eventually, it came back into print -- just in time for me to share it with my niece and nephew. They love it -- and its message of the satisfaction derived from selfless acts -- as much as I did and do. I can almost hear my grandma's voice as I read...

The connection between grandmother and granddaughter is a marrow-deep one in "Summer Book." Sophia and her grandmother spend their days exploring, talking about life, nature, everything but their feelings about Sophia's mother's death and their love for one another. And yet, underneath the offhand, and often strange conversations that take place between them, you feel their affection and the concern they feel for one another.

"Summer Book" is a strange and beautiful story. There's no false emotions here, no manipulation for the sake of effect. Just an account of a very real relationship between a child and her grandmother, during the last weeks of the grandmother's life. Very highly recommended.

This is a book about Sophia, whose mother has died. She lives with her father, who is a writer, and her grandmother, and they spend their summers on an island. Her father is preoccupied with his writing, and Sophia's grandmother is old and infirm. They do not know it, but this summer marks the last weeks, days, and finally hours of Grandmother's life.