New book describes Finnish history through eyes of children
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A new book, Suomen lasten historia ("A History of Finnish Children") published by Otava, is intended for children who are interested in history and want to read beyond what they learn from school textbooks.
The book, which was published on Monday, is the first history of Finland for children that is not a school curriculum textbook. All of the stories in the book are told from the perspective of children over the age of ten, and they are supplemented by lists of facts.
The book begins with the settlement of Finland by its first inhabitants, and concludes with the country's newest inhabitants - refugees. The volume was written jointly by author and scriptwriter Kirsti Manninen and the head of the Loimaa Agricultural Museum Juha Kuisma, who is also known for his work with the Centre Party. Illustrations were by Jussi Kaakinen.
Also taking part in the project were Kuisma's children, Viivi and Roope, who are the age of the intended readers, and whose critical eyes led to the cutting of an episode from the 19th century, and a story on the events of 1918, the year of Finland's Civil War.
"Lose the dull stories", they said.
The Civil War is not completely absent, but it is approached from the vantage point of the aftermath, when the Whites vanquished the rebel Reds. The children in a story called Frozen potatoes are orphans, whose father was on the Red side and disappeared in the conflict. In her desperation, the hungry daughter takes to stealing potatoes.
"The Civil War was a very touchy subject", Kirsti Manninen admits. It remains difficult even for the adult population.
The sharp political divisions of the country in the 1930s are underscored in a story about pesäpallo - the Finnish variant of baseball. In the story, the team of a local unit of the Suojeluskunta - paramilitary home guard forces, with a strong White tradition (they are sometimes known as the "White Guards") - needs one more player, and the best batter in the area just happens to be the orphan son of the doorman of the local workers' association headquarters, and is therefore politically suspect.
Many of the stories are based on the experiences of people who lived through the times, but all of them are fictionalised to some degree.
The book portrays Finnish history as a long line of tribulations, but all of the chapters are survival stories.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 25.10.2005 - TODAY |
 New book describes Finnish history through eyes of children
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