The Long, Long Journey by Ilon Wikland (illustrations) and Rose Lagercrantz (text).
This is a story about a little girl, her dog and how a war affects their lives.
This is what we learn about the girl: her dog is a shepherd dog that guards reindeers and sleeps in the snow but now he is watching her.
Her parents had had a fall out and had moved to live in separate places and they did not want to ever see each other again. They did not care about their daughter so she stayed with her maternal grandmother. When the war started she was sent to her paternal grandmother who lived in the country side. But when the train arrived at the station there was no one to meet her.
This girl, in spite of the dire circumstances, is a spirited and resourceful girl, not easily scared. With the dog by her side she is soon on her way to her grandmother.
But the war was a little further away and it was summer and the wind was full of sea, because the town was close to the sea.
The girl and the dog was together all the time having fun and being happy.
The war came closer. The soldiers came but the girl was not frightened. Not as long as she was with her dog. Every day the dog ran out to see if the world was still there. And after peeing he came back to the girl to see that she was still there and to lick her in the face.
But one morning the dog did not come back. The girl heard the dog barking and barking until she heard a shot.
The soldiers had killed the dog.
How could they? How can you shoot a little dog? Maybe because he had barked at them, but he only wanted to protect her from the war!
But life goes on and children need to go to school…
The war went on and on. Many people in the little town was frightened and decided to escape.
“You have to get away from here”, said the girl's grandmother. “You have to save yourself!”
The girl came to a new country where there was no war.
And suddenly she fainted.
When she woke up she was in the hospital. She had got a serious illness. Fortunately the girl had an aunt who lived in the new country and she came to see her. When she was well again the girl came to live with her aunt.
When the war was over the girl stayed with her aunt in the new country.
But did she ever become really happy again? Yes, many times.
My comments:
This is the true story of the well-known illustrator Ilon Wikland who has Illustrated many of Astrid Lindgren's books. She was born in Estonia and came to Sweden as a refugee in 1944.
Today it is Good Friday and me, my family and friends are joined in a Worldwide Day of prayer and fasting for relief from the COVID-19 pandemic.
I wanted to find a book that is appropiate for this special day. I think The Long, Long Journey is a good choice. Without any sentimentality we are introduced to the complexities of life: war, death, conflicts, abandonment, separation, loneliness, illness and whatnot. The wonderful thing is that the girl, Ilon, is not crushed by her experiences. With good friends, some of them four-legged, love for nature and the ability to express her experiences in art, her life became very good.
Bonus picture: my four-legged friend Boris.