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Moomin and the Sea, by Tove Jansson, is an unlikely “lighthouse” book. However, this comic-strip style book, although referenced as “juvenile fiction,” will delight readers of all ages regardless of their interest in or knowledge of lighthouses. First published in the 1950s by renowned Finnish novelist, illustrator, and comic strip author Tove Jansson as one of a series of stories of the Moomin family, it has recently been reworked and re-released. I highly recommend it as an addition to your lighthouse library.
The opening words of Moominpapa, “They’re advertising for a lighthouse keeper. You know I’ve always felt a romantic yearning to keep a lighthouse,” will rope you in and keep you delighted throughout. Moominpapa is obsessed with writing a book about “the majesty of the sea” and what better place than at a lighthouse? Although the book chronicles numerous adventures of the whole family – Moominpapa, Moominmama, Moominbrother, and Moominsister – it all revolves around their stay on a rocky island (somewhat reminiscent of Boon Island, Maine) with a lighthouse. It is apparent that the author has some knowledge of lighthouse lore at least. Moominpapa gets the key to the lighthouse from the departing keeper, Moominmama tries to grow flowers in a small patch of earth brought to the island, birds fly into the lantern, and the island ghost gets involved.
In the end, although the great novel never comes to be, Moominpapa’s pre-occupation causes great neglect of his keeper duties. He wasn’t really cut out to be a lighthouse keeper after all, it seems, and so his lighthouse keeper’s certificate is revoked by that dreaded inspector, and the family sadly departs the lighthouse isle. But it’s a great tale.
Published today by Enfant, a client publisher of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, it is not available from Lighthouse Digest, however, it is available from various on-line book sellers.
This story appeared in the
Jan/Feb 2015 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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