War Diaries, 1939–1945
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Before she became internationally known for her Pippi Longstocking books, Astrid Lindgren was an aspiring author living in Stockholm with her family at the outbreak of the Second World War. The diaries she kept throughout the hostilities offer a civilian's, a mother's, and an aspiring writer's unique account of the devastating conflict. She emerges as a morally courageous critic of violence and war, as well as a deeply sensitive and astute observer of world affairs. We hear her thoughts about rationing, blackouts, the Soviet invasion of Finland, and the nature of evil, as well as of her personal heartbreaks, financial struggles, and trials as a mother and writer.
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In War Diaries (elsewhere titled A World Gone Mad) we have the journal author Astrid Lindgren kept as a young wife and mother in neutral Sweden. She provides a record of the up-and-down thoughts and feelings of someone on the edge of the action, enjoying the benefits of not being in a country torn by war, while deploring its evils. For anyone interested in the time period, these book will bring unique insights into the author's experiences. (I was a bit disappointed, though, that Lindgren's diaries contained little reference to the genesis of Pippi Longstocking, which occurred during this period — but she considered other things more important at the time perhaps.)
Daily life in Stockholm during the war, life that was strangely normal compared to the chaos elsewhere on the continent. Diary entries are mostly about her husband and children (illnesses, poor grades - some things never change!) but she obsessively clipped newspaper articles about the war and was as afraid of the Soviets as she was of the Germans. Gained a better understanding of Finland's situation immediately before and during the war (the definition of “no-win”).
