The Women I Think About at Night
Naiset joita ajattelen öisin, Otava 2018
What can a forty-something childless woman do? Bored with her life and feeling stuck, Mia Kankimäki leaves her job, sells her apartment, and decides to travel the world, following the paths of women explorers and artists from history who have long inspired her.
A blend of travelogue, memoir, and biography, The Women I Think About at Night is an around-the-world adventure in the footsteps of ten fearless night women: the Danish writer Karen Blixen, Japanese avantgarde artist Yayoi Kusama, 19th century explorers like Isabella Bird, Ida Pfeiffer, and Mary Kingsley, and Italian Renaissance painters from Sofonisba Anguissola to Artemisia Gentileschi.
”Astute, entertaining....This insightful book will appeal to adventure enthusiasts and be an inspiration for those with an eye on hitting their stride later in life.” – Publisher's Weekly
”The book is a confidence-booster for all women seeking to build a life based on finding a path out of the beaten track.” – Beauty News NYC
Published or coming soon:
Finland Otava · Albania Muza · China Winshare Publishing · Czech Republic Albatrosmedia / Motto · Denmark Bilgrav Publishing · Estonia Varrak · France Editions Leduc.s Gallimard/Folio · Germany btb Verlag / Random House · Hungary Kossuth · Italy Neri Pozza · Japan Soshisha · Latvia Zvaigzne · Lithuania Leidykla Gelmes · Netherlands Uitgeverij Orlando · Norway Gursli Berg Forlag · Poland Wydawnictwo Poznanskie · Russia Eksmo Publishing · Slovenia Didakta · Sweden Wahlström & Widstrand · USA, Canada & UK Simon & Schuster
Things That Make One's Heart Beat Faster
Asioita jotka saavat sydämen lyömään nopeammin, Otava 2013
Mia Kankimäki quits her job and travels to Kyoto to research Sei Shonagon, a Japanese writer and a lady-in-waiting who wrote about her life in the court of Heian era Japan, over 1000 years ago. Mia doesn’t speak a word of Japanese, but despite her struggles and initial culture shock, she finds herself mesmerized by temples, cherry blossoms, kabuki-theater, Zen meditation, and tea rooms. She reads the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon and finds a soul sister: a modern woman who loves making lists of all things charming, annoying, elegant, or things that make one’s heart beat faster.
”Kankimäki’s novel is sincere in its candour. The author weaves comedy into Kyotoan poetry, and paints a vivid picture of a rare subject.” – Savon Sanomat
”It is difficult to imagine anyone who will not be inspired by this book, whether their dreams be of a year off, a trip to Japan, or simply a better life.” – Jury of the Best Travel Book of 2013
Published or coming soon:
Finland Otava · Czech Republic Albatrosmedia / Motto · Estonia Varrak · Germany btb Verlag / Random House · Italy Edizioni Piemme · Japan Soshisha · Netherlands Uitgeverij Orlando
