July, 2020

World Tour 2020: Scandinavia and the Baltics

Posted on July 1, 2020 by | Posted in about LibriVox, Blog, Books, For Volunteers, Monthly Picks, News | Comments: Comments Off on World Tour 2020: Scandinavia and the Baltics

Summer has officially begun! Cool down on the 6th leg of the LibriVox World Tour, where we move all the way to Scandinavia and beyond with 10 gems from our catalog.

Let’s start Farthest North, at 86° 14′ northern latitude, to be precise. This was the record set by Fridtjof Nansen on his expecition with the Fram. Starting out in 1893, he eventually made it home after being rescued in 1896.

In the novel by Juhani Aho, Juha also goes on a rescue mission when he finds his wife abducted by travelling merchant Shemeikka. He finally catches up with him in Russia, but the story Juha hears is unexpected…

Student Arkenholz imagines wonderful things in an apartment building in Stockholm. But when he is admitted to the society, nothing is what it seems from the outside. Listen to our dramatic production of The Ghost Sonata, one of August Strindberg’s modernist dramas.

A drama also unfolds in the novel by Johan Bojer, when Norby, who once co-signed a loan for Wangen, accuses him of forging the signature. All looks good for the moment, but The Power of a Lie threatens both of their families in the end…

We advise caution when reading Piloting Directions for the Gulf of Finland. Although the book by John W. Norie is interesting from a historic perspective, the information on ports, landmarks etc. should not be relied upon.

After the death of her father, Edith Sternfeld came to rely on her mother. She wants Edith to marry a count, but the headstrong girl loves somebody else… Find out what happens to this Nykfull Kvinna in the 4-book Swedish saga by Emilie Flygare-Carlén.

No compilation of books from northern Europe would be complete without one of the old sagas. Here are two-in-one: Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson, great stories of the Norse myths. We even have this epic in a Spanish translation.

Speaking of complation, Eva March Tappan has outdone herself with The World’s Story. Volume VIII contains history, plays, fiction, and even descriptions of famous paitings related to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Greenland and the search for the Poles.

Eight-year old Pelle the Conquerer comes to Denmark with his father. Together, they work under harsh conditions on a farm. However, the boy never loses his faith in things getting better in the book by Martin Andersen Nexø.

Lisbeth Longfrock is also eight, but she lives in one of the steep Norwegian valleys. Spend the summer with her on the quiet mountain pastures amidst cows and goats in this lovely children’s book by Hans Aanrud.

Enjoy your summer (or winter) and take care when travelling!

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