Book Production Begins
“I am excited to tell you how book production begins with my publisher, She Writes Press. It begins with cover design. First, I submit a comprehensive memo to my publisher who has on board a stable of experts in cover design. The cover must look beautiful on the book as well as one-inch high on Amazon. I am so glad to have on board artists and designers with impeccable skill and many years’ experience . Stay tuned for next steps in creating my book. You can find my most recent writings under the blog section of this site.”
Book Description
Linda, front and center, surrounded by her childhood family.
Linda breaks three silences, weaving together a tapestry of suffering, abuse, and resilience that are part of her life, her grandfather’s life and the coming of age of Finland. Sisu, the Finnish concept of grit, determination, bravery, and tenacity of purpose when success seems unlikely, enables both Linda and her grandfather to survive and thrive. Linda’s grandfather’s miraculous escape from the concentration camps of Finland in 1918 is a mirror of her perseverance. They are linked in transgenerational trauma, Finnish culture, and sisu.
Chapters of hardship alternate between scenes of childhood delight such as making upgames or fishing with her friend, Carol, making a Finnish sweet bread with her loving grandmother, or examining a salamander with cousin, Adrian. After a pastoral chapter of childhood, the next chapter describes unthinkable torment, such as Linda’s father killing her pet rabbit and forcing her to eat it for dinner prepared by her mother.
In most chapters Linda’s adult voice reflects on the chilling events that shaped her life as well as what empowered her: a devoted grandmother, a kind librarian, loving friends and relatives, a caring boy, an insightful therapist, and immersion in nature—birds, flowers, and furry animals.
Author Biography
Linda Valonen Lundgren
A Second Generation Finnish American
Linda is a second generation Finnish American with a unique perspective on the Finnish culture in which she grew up. She lived with her Finnish grandmother and grandfather for the first four years of her life. As a young girl she lived with her parents in rural Western Massachusetts.
Linda moved to Amherst to begin her studies and follow her dream of being a teacher and a writer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Science from The Ohio State University. She is an author of McGraw-Hill’s high school biology book, the best-selling biology book for more than thirty-five years.
In addition, she has published fifteen books with various publishers as well as essays and poems in scientific and literary journals. Currently, Linda lives in Colorado with her husband, Rich.
