Bøger udgivet af Penfield Books

In a City Transformed is the fourth volume of the acclaimed Stockholm Series by Per Anders Fogelström. It opens with the watershed year of 1928, on the eve of the Great Depression. As Sweden heads toward the years of economic crisis and massive unemployment, we the readers reacquaint ourselves with well-loved characters from previous volumes as they age and ponder their existence. The dramatic turns of events of younger characters' lives capture the reader, as they enter adulthood in a volatile period in history. People grow and change as does the ever-transforming city, and meanwhile, the world becomes engulfed in yet another world war. The war unfolds through the words and thoughts of Fogelström's Swedish citizens. During these troubled times, Sweden as a nation transforms itself, with the state taking on greater social responsibility, and developing what would henceforth become known as "the Swedish model."

Excerpt: "Presently the evenness of his breathing told her he was asleep. For a long time she lay on her back just as he had left her, mulling over her situation. In those brief minutes everything had supposedly righted itself. She had officially left her girlhood behind forever and become a woman. The days of wearing her hair down her back in a long braid were gone, although she was not yet entitled to wear a married woman's kerchief. Nor did she any longer belong to the group of young housemaids who had been her friends, nor to a group of married women whom she hardly knew. All at once she felt very alone, not knowing what was expected of her. The only thing she knew for sure was that her life had taken a false turn, and she didn't know how to set it right again." ========================= Nineteenth century Swedish peasant life was not always the dance around the Midsummer pole portrayed by the artists of the time. Those same peasants lived daily lives in the shadow of the all-powerful village church, controlled by the countless rules, customs, and traditions that governed every aspect of their existence, leaving no room for individual deviations. When it became known that Augusta Torsdotter's daughter Elsa-Carolina was illegitimate, the course of both of their lives irrevokably changed. As an adult, Elsa-Carolina immigrated to America, turning her back on the past. It wasn't until three-quarters of a century later, at the age of 94, that she returned to Sweden, to come to terms with her girlhood. "The harshness of Swedish peasant life and landscape is beautifully chronicled in Judit Martin's novel. Her knowledge of the culture, customs, work, superstitions, and attitudes of the day opens up that world for those of us seeking to know our Swedish ancestors." -Joan Morrison Granddaughter of Swedish immigrants Charleston, Maine ===================== "Wonderful and evocative! A captivating and enlightening read!" -Mr. Jan Smedh Bookseller The English Bookshop Upsala & Stockholm, Sweden This book is intended for mature audiences.

In a book of breathtaking beauty, Penfield Books presents "Iowa Pastel Landscapes," a collection of Iowa scenes as captured by lifelong artist Marcia Wegman. In May, 2014, Iowa Pastel Landscapes was a finalist in the 2014 24th Annual Midwest Book Awards promoted by the Midwest Independent Publishers Association. Marcia Wegman was a finalist in the Illustration: Graphic category. There were 363 books entered in the contest with 43 categories. One hundred and eighty-five of Wegman's pastel paintings are presented in this full-color book. The paintings are divided into sections on landscapes; farms; cattle; wildflowers and grass; sky; rivers, lakes, and creeks; spring; summer; fall; winter; roads and trails; and diptych, triptych, and quadriptych. Wegman, who lives in Iowa City, Iowa, also writes in the book about her love of nature and how she came to work in pastels late in life. She works fast, often referring to landscape and sky photographs she has taken during walks, and even at stoplights when she's driving. Her work is widely collected and is part of many private and public collections, including those at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Wegman builds on the artistic legacy of Grant Wood, "employing the challenging medium of pastel to explore the magical effects of sky, earth, and light of this place called Iowa," notes David W. Wright, a museum curator and historian living in Decorah, Iowa. The pastels, he adds, "demonstrate the picturesque diversity of Iowa's landscapes." Wegman's other books are "A Look at Latvia and Lithuania" and "Lula Belle," a story about a friendly urban raccoon and her family as captured by Wegman in photographs, pastels, and prose. All are Penfield Books titles.

Per Anders Fogelstrom's Stockholm Series is a quintet of novels about the intertwined stories of a city and of a family. The research behind and within Fogelstrom's series is prodigiously detailed: he gives us meticulous descriptions of landscapes, weather, rooms, streets, factories, cafes, bars, and emerging landmarks; he knows and understands the historical events, issues, politics of the period, which of them were remote from the working classes, and which were immediate. He tells his stories without contrivance; when there are life-changing events, they erupt into a context of daily life that he conveys no less compellingly. He can show us the clothes his characters are wearing, tell us how these people smell, describe the effect of alcohol and toil on their bodies. Most of all he understand their values, their ideals, their emotions, their human integrity; he admires their enduring strengths, and views their weaknesses with compassion. Jennifer Brown Baverstam's skillful translation is at once transparent and rooted, like its source. --Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe

The Prague astronomical clock is featured on the front cover. The back cover features people in medieval attire among the performers in a festival of The Five Petalled Rose in Cesky Krumlov, The Czech Republic. Edited by Joanne Asala. Proverbs from the Czech language. Friends, Man's Best Friend, Husbands and Wives, The Great Outdoors, Law and Order, Religion, The LIfe of a Peasant, The Czech Spirit, Bread and Butter, Wine and Spirits, Words Spoken, Health and Medicine, Money Makes the World Go Around, Sage Words, and The Passing of Time. Examples: Everyone drives the water to his own mill. You must travel over a rough road to reach the stars. Eat slowly and speak slowly, and you will live a long life. When food tastes its finest, stop eating. Sing the song of the one whose bread you eat. Many, many, more. Detailed black and white illustrations.

Julie Jensen McDonald talks about growing up Danish, a brief history of Denmark, royalty, the lure of the north, immigration to America, common Danish names, the Museum of Danish America, a heritage tour, (Elk Horn and Kimballtown, Iowa), Grand View University, Old World Wisconsin, Lake of the Woods, Danebod, Solvang, California, The happy and holy Danes, Danish needlework, the legend of the Queen Dagmar, Greenland, the far-away Faeroes, the Virgin Islands, visiting Denmark, Legoland, trolls, holidays in Denmark, porcelain, a fairy tale life, the story of the Little Mermaid, Out of Africa: The Baroness, Out of Isaac Dinesen, Shakespeare, the Danish Ballet, Christmas, Danish Folk dancing, heritage fests and costumes, the Dagmar cross, food, glorious food, and many Danish recipes.

Judit Martin, originally from the American Midwest, has been living in rural Sweden since 1969. She has published several short stories in Scottish literary magazines, two books in Swedish, and one novel in English. These five short stories are historical fiction inspired by the lives of people Martin has known or known about. They depict life from a different era and the hardships that people of that time dealt with in day to day life. The stories take place in the nineteenth or early twentieth century. Samuel tells the story of a tailor's son who marries a woman considered by her peers to be a "whore" due to her illegitimate daughter. Alulf tells of a Swedish immigrant living in America who creates a fictional and successful life for himself through photographs he takes. Hilda describes the life of a seven-year-old girl sent to be a maid for her elderly aunt and uncle. The struggles that a woman must face when her father dies and thus leaves the control of his estate in the hands of a cruel squire are shown in Elin and Teo, and Tora describes the hardships that a young country girl endures when she is sent to town for boarding school. Judit Martin's stories show the primitive and sometimes inhumane conditions that the poor endured, simply because it was the way life had always been. The collection is beautifully written and eye-opening, and a very worthy read. For Mature Audiences

Translated by Inkeri Vaananen-Jensen. Proverbs of Finland heritage. Front and back covers of Finland State Forest, Minnesota. Hand calligraphy and line art throughout by Esther Feske. An axe is not sharpened on only one side. Keep learning as long as you live. Hurry slowly. If you don't go, you can't return. Every man can tell you how, even if he can't do it. The day is longer in the morning. There is time enough to rest in the grave. Sauna, the poor man's drug store. Even the most wise makes one mistake. A full purse does not jingle. 6"x9" 51 pages.

"Kajsa" is the free-standing sequel to "Augusta's Daughter," depicting peasant life in late-nineteenth century Sweden. It is the story of fifteen-year-old Elsa-Carolina's illegitimate daughter Kajsa, who was placed in a foster family immediately after birth. From there, at the age of eight, she was cast out into the world on her own. With the help of the women she met along the way, she survived and eventually gained control over her life. Her situation was by no means unique. Sweden has changed greatly since the nineteenth century, albeit in a different direction than America. In order to understand present-day Sweden, it is necessary to be aware of the past on which it is built. Kajsa's life reflects a tiny aspect of that past.

Now available. A reprint of this book has been brought back to life. Translated by Inkeri Vaananen-Jensen and K. Borje Vahamaki. Second edition re-edited by Professor Vahamaki. A classic collection in Finnish Literature.Thirty-two stories in Finnish Short Stories are by nineteen different authors, presenting a wide range of writing styles. There is a concise, helpful biography of each author. Stories cover the period from 1859 through 1967 and include some of Finland's classic writers: Aleksis Kivi, Minna Canth, Juhani Aho, and Frans Eemil Sillanpaa. More contemporary writers are: Mika Waltari, Veijo Meri, Veikko Huovinen, Marja-Leena Mikkola and Timo Mukka. Inkeri began this translation project while taking a course in Finnish-to-English translation in the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Minnesota. In her mid-50s at the time, Inkeri was affirming her Finnish roots and the significance of an Iron Range childhood at Ely and Virginia, Minnesota. This book was brought back into print by request.

Like many other European countries, the Czech Republic has a rich culture and history, which makes it a magnet for travelers to Eastern Europe. This book concentrates on the territory of Moravia, a part of the Czech Republic, often in the shadow of the capital city of Prague but which deserves attention and appreciation in its own right. After all, it is the place where the Great Moravian Empire was established and became the first major homeland of the Slavic people. The book brings a unique view of how this region is seen and understood from afar-the United States. The author writes, "The absence of a published focus on Moravia, one of the two main regions of the Czech Republic, was for me the major driving force for this book. In looking at various sources, one quickly realizes that information about the Czech Republic is dominated by Bohemia. Finally, the history of Moravia is as rich as that of Bohemia, most notably by the fact that Great Moravia preceded Bohemia." Moravia: Gem of the Czech Republic includes a history of Moravia, its regions, towns, and cities, some notable Moravians, the culture of the region, Moravian immigrants to North America, and the preservation of Moravia's treasures. The 156 color photographs and illustrations by the author show the beauty of the countryside, towns, villages, castles, culture, and people of Moravia. Author Robert J. Tomanek, PhD is Professor Emeritus Anatomy and Cell Biology Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

"City in the World," the fifth and last book of Per Anders Fogelström's famed Stockholm Series, covers the years from 1945 through 1968. The author depicts the progress of the Swedish social experiment during this period as Swedish society struggles to find peaceful solutions to many challenges. As ever, Fogelström displays great sympathy and insight into characters we know well by now, immersed in the world of their time, a time in which Stockholm has become a city in the world.

Selfish and lazy, fourteen-year-old Nils learns kindness and wisdom after he is bewitched into an elf-sized boy and carried off by a barnyard goose to join the migration of wild geese across Sweden to Lapland.