Non-fiction works is a veritable potpourri of print and e-books. Rooting for Food, a historical cookbook with vegetable recipes from the lean war years, Trailblazers brings to life the 76-year history of the Port Arthur branch of the Loyal Finns in Canada. Poetry books, and a number of interesting essays on literature, philosophy and social issues round out this selection.
Kalevala
Finnish scholar, Elias Lönnrot, spent many years recording the songs of the old rune singers, combining them into a work he called Kalevala. It became the National Epic of Finland and played a significant role, along with the music of Sibelius and the paintings by Gallen-Kallela and other artist, in the Finnish search for identity and independence. Kalevala has been translated into many languages in verse and prose, but this is the first time, since 1904, that the complete runic Kalevala has been translated to English by Kaarina Brooks, faithfully following the sing-song version of kalevala-metre. In doing so, it retains the enchanting poesy of the original Finnish Kalevala.
Send me an email to purchase a print copy of Kalevala.
Old Kalevala
Send me an email to purchase a print copy of Old Kalevala.
Essays
This unique collection of 33 essays by Kaarina Brooks covers a wide range of topics from English and history to philosophy and science, and are saved here for archival purposes and for your reading enjoyment. They were written under her previous name, Mäntysalo, between 1977 and 1990 while she studied for her Honours B.A. at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With titles such as, “The Uncensored Version of At the Back of the North Wind”, “In the Unquiet Nestled the Quiet”, and “Sin is a Twelve Penny Matter” these essays provide plenty of variety from which you can choose.
Read an excerpt
Essays are available in print from Amazon.
Rooting for Food
During the turbulent war years, 1939-1945, Finnish women on the home front struggled to conjure up nutritious meals out of the scant resources available. Rooting for Food gives the reader a sampling of the recipes they used. A chronology of the war in photos and interesting facts give the recipes a historical context. Excerpts from letters, biographies and memoirs give a unique look into life in Finland in those difficult times.
Download a sample recipe
Send me an email to order a print copy of Rooting for Food.
Rooting for Food has been showcased in an article in Kandan Sanomat.
Check out the article here.
Trailblazers
“Trailblazers” is what the members of Port Arthur Kansallisseura have sometimes been called. This book brings to life these people and gives the reader a glimpse into their activities. They are shown, not merely as names in recorded entries, but as dedicated, vibrant, funny, talented men and women, striving to make a difference in their time.
View sample pages
Trailblazers is available in print from Amazon.
A Hundred Thousand Wild Bouquets
Written by Kaarina Brooks and translated into Finnish by Eine Rossi. As the name suggests, this anthology contains happier poems that Kaarina has written over the years.
Read a sample poem.
A Hundred Thousand Wild Bouquets is available in print and as an ebook from Amazon.
It’s the Finn in Me – Melancholy Musings, Alakuloisia Aatoksia
Written and translated by Kaarina Brooks, this poetry book gives you a chance to read the same poem side by side in English and in Finnish. The illustrations, drawn by her further help to reflect the feelings she is trying to convey in the poems.
Send me an email to purchase a print copy of It’s the Finn in Me.
Wisteria Publications 