You know it’s a good book when you can’t put it down but you don’t want it to end. That’s the way I feel about Ruth Jutila Chamberlin’s The Dancing Finn. It’s a book I had not heard of until I found it hanging on my gate in a plastic bag with this inscription from the author: For Sydney – with a shared interest in generational history – R.
I had been introduced to Ruth a few weeks previously by a mutual friend. They had disrupted their walk through the village to knock at my door. I couldn’t even ask them in – we had shampooed our carpets just minutes before – so we stood out on the porch and made promises to get together for coffee ‘soon.’ That happened eventually, but not before the book arrived.
The back cover says, among other things, “…this is a must-read for Finnish Americans.” I do not fall into that category but I know a number of people who do. I hasten to add that being Finnish American is not a prerequisite to enjoying or relating to this book. Every person who has grown up not quite understanding their family dynamic can appreciate the problems the protagonist faces. And every person who grew up in the United States during the years following WWII will be transported back to the days of singing “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt”(LOUD!) and listening to “The Shadow” (in the dark) on the radio.
The story is narrated by Kik Halonen who was orphaned as an infant and grows up in northern Minnesota in the household of her uncle and grandparents – a home dominated by ‘Silence.’ Says the back cover blurb: In college, Kik applies for a study in Finland. The purpose was to learn the language; what she finds, however, unravels family secrets and breaches the silence that has enveloped her life.
It is a compelling story and beautifully written. I found myself envying the author’s ease with metaphors and evocative turns of phrase. Take: The past was a hidden thing, and dangerous, like faulty wiring. Or: Harald bent forward and caught a scream in his hands. Perfect! In addition, Chamberlin has captured the child voice of young Kik so thoroughly and has morphed it into adulthood so subtly that you feel you’ve known her since you, yourself, were a child.
The very first statement on the copyright page says This is a work of fiction. That, no doubt, is true, but the author must have lived through many similar experiences to have written so realistically. Perhaps, as I get to know Ruth better, I will be able to sort it out.
We have a Finn friend who lives in Panama City who would like this book.
Having grown up in N. Wisconsin and having many friends in Minnesota, I can relate to everything you mention. Being part of the Danish community called West Denmark, which was just 6 miles south of West Sweden, we often talked of a mixed marriage being between a Lutheran and Catholic. (What will the children become?) Our community danced and sang while just 2 miles to the east the people of the “other” Danish church believed that dancing was sinful. Oh, I tell you, the under currents were strong and deeply held. Only because I was in a family that DID talk about such things, was I able to understand some of the beliefs that were swirling around me.
I wouldn’t trade my childhood for any other. North woods. Lakes. Ice skating. Swimming in summer. Fishing… both winter and summer. Forts in the woods. Deer hunting. Skiing. There was always something to do… a new fort to build…
Mark, you would LOVE this book! It almost sounds like you could have written it.
I’d like to get ahold of that book also. My mom was born in Menomonie Wisc Her Dad was born in Denmark and her Mom’sfamily from Norway. They came out to White Salmon in approx 1916.
I’m excited to hear about this book! I like that period of history and I have a Finnish uncle I can share it with.
Thank you, Sydney, for this glorious review. I just now found this site. What a writer you are! Lyrical, observant, masterful with words. I loved the quotes you included, as they brought to mind characters who’d become friends as I wrote the book. It means a lot to a writer to have a reader notice a teensy little phrase (that might have taken weeks to polish, the writer tee-heeing or crying behind the scenes) and to remember it long enough to share it. You’re a champion.
I love hearing other people’s stories. The comments above are treasures!
Anyone interested in buying THE DANCING FINN, signed, can contact me. I will ship for $3. 00 postage or deliver free if local. Cost of the novel, $14.95, even for Washington residents; I’ll pay taxes. Check or money order. After you read it, if you have time, please let me know the parts that got to you. Thanks! My 2nd novel, LAUGHTER LEFT OVER, is available online.
Ruth Jutila Chamberlin
PO Box 885
Ocean Park, WA 98640
or email gullywasher21@yahoo.com
or phone 360-665-0553