On Our Book Shelf: When Mischief Came To Town

In 1911, after the loss of her mother in Copenhagen, Denmark, Inge Maria travels alone by boat to live with her grandmother on Bornholm, an island off the Danish coast.  Even though the grandmother who meets Inge at the harbor is brusque, wrinkled, and unsmiling, Inge is determined not to indulge in self pity and keeps her tears and fears at bay.  Although her new home is absent the colorful story books and large squishy chair where she delighted in curling up with her mother to read, Inge sees that this straw-thatched cottage is warm, cozy, pretty and inviting. 

There is much to adapt to here in the country; first Inge must master walking in heavy wooden clogs, as well as helping milk the cows; collecting freshly-laid eggs; mucking out the piles of poo left in the barn by the donkey Levi; feeding the pigs; carting, shoveling, and scrubbing. Although she is not used to such hard work, she is glad to be distracted from her painful yearning for her mother which never abates. Inge tries very hard to not be a nuisance and maintain good manners in front of Grandmother's friends when they visit. There are elements of humor as Inge has to communicate with the stubborn, braying donkey Levi; share a bedroom with a flapping turkey named Henry; and interact with an enormous pig called Plenty who is suckling fourteen piglets.

There are many mishaps and accidents to be sure; but Inge is relieved and delighted that her grandmother appears more amused than annoyed. In fact, when Inge begins school, which she finds repressive and strict, in desperation and boredom she speaks up, asking why girls must sit quietly on a bench at recess playing dominoes while the boys can run and play and exercise. In addition, she challenges the fact that in music class they are not allowed to dance or move in any way to the rhythm. When she overhears a conversation between two very strange twin sisters, friends of her grandmother, Inge discovers that her grandmother is not the harsh, stern person she at first appeared to be, but in her youth was very feisty, fun-loving, and rambunctious herself. So begins a loving relationship between the two as they become close and are able to share their grief and reminiscences about Inge's mother. 

Another very touching subplot involves an orphan boy Klaus who will temporarily become part of their little family.  This is a very sweet book about surviving loss and finding love and life again in unexpected places.  Moreover, it provides a good example of resilience and coping with life's adversities, even tragic ones. There are numerous reference to the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, Inge's favorite author whose collection allows Inge to escape her sorrow in the creative world of his imagination.  In the end she finds that "Every man's life is a fairy tale, written by God's fingers." (Hans Christian Andersen) I would recommend this book for 8-12 year-olds.