New praise for Laura Lindstedt and Mia Kankimäki

Laura Lindstedt’s new novel My Friend Natalia has been out for one month, and it has received rave reviews in many newspapers and literary blogs:

“Great novel that shows that Lindstedt can reinvent herself as a writer!” – Demokraatti magazine 8/19

“So bold, but ah, so stylish!” – Kainuun Sanomat newspaper 14.4.

“Every word is carefully thought and at the right place!”  Jorman lukunurkka blog 24.3.

“Lindstedt guides the reader flexibly through a multilayered, fragmented story that digresses in every turn, yet still holds together tightly.” – Kirjasta kirjaan blog 24.3.

“My Friend Natalia makes you laugh, but also question where the laughter comes from. It is unforgettable, a new corner stone in the Finnish women’s literature!” – Reader, why did I marry him blog 26.3.

“Lindstedt’s language is so lovely, flowy, and it makes me fall in love with my mother tongue again. I wanted to read this book so badly that I was annoyed every day when my commute was over and I had to put the book down!” – Bookish tea party blog 12.4.

My Friend Natalia updates the attitudes toward sex as well as the power structures between men and women!” – Kirja vieköön blog 1.4.


There’s no doubt that Mia Kankimäki’s The Women I Think About at Night has gotten more attention from media, print press and bloggers than any other Finnish book last year! And new reviews are still flying in!

“These Night Women will never leave my mind. The next time I doubt myself, I will close my eyes and think about them – and about Mia Kankimäki – and all the things they have been able to do.”
– Kotivinkki magazine

“One of the most unique travel guides!”
– Helsingin Sanomat newspaper

“Joyful mix of non-fic, travel diary and self-help!”
– Eeva magazine

“The Women I Think About At Night is so empowering! I feel like a stronger person after reading it. I feel I am capable of more! I am a night woman of my own life!”
– Kirjasähkökäyrä blog

“Kankimäki has the skill of writing: she can bring history and past alive. She wonders, observes, experiences and figures things out in such a realistic way that the reader shares her excitement and passion.”
– Kulttuuri kukoistaa blog 

“I fell in love with Kankimäki’s writing, her sharp humor and precise remarks. – – She writes so honestly about the process of creating the book that the reader can relate.”
– Hyviä Sanoja blog 

“So captivating that you can’t skip even one sentence!”
– Lumiomena blog 

“The Women I Think About at Night makes one reflect their own life and choices. It’s a book you can read many times.”
– Kirjakaapin kummitus

“This book is great for many women, older and younger. And I encourage men to open the book too!”
– Oma Sivunkääntäjä blog

“Kankimäki’s work is a power book for all girls and women. It urges you to do, go, dare and find your dreams – and yourself.”
– Parasta ennen blog

“This book is so inspiring that I immediately decided to book a trip to Florence!”
– Tuijata. Kulttuuripohdintoja Blog 

“Mia Kankimäki has smart wits and fabulous self-irony!”
– Maaseudun tulevaisuus newspaper  

“Pick up the book, open it, read the forewords – and you are ready for a journey of your lifetime!”
– Curiouser & Curiouser blog

“The Women I Think About at Night is a book about brave women – and about Mia Kankimäki herself. She looks for advice and guidance from these historical role models.”
– Suomen Kuvalehti magazine

“History is full of men’s strories. So Mia Kankimäki’s book is fresh and important, but it is also done brilliantly with a mix of facts and fiction. She paints an adventure after adventure in front of the reader, who cannot help but dive into them.”
 – Laju.fi

“We are so lucky to have women who don’t just settle to dream, but actually follow their hearts. We are lucky to have Mia Kankimäki, joka left her old life and embarked on an adventure  to brighten up the days of all of the women who are stuck in everyday life and work. We are lucky to have Mia’s sharp pen, curious mind and brave heart, who can lead by example and encourage us to step on unknown paths.”
– Double you hell yes – blog

“Kankimäki is a modern explorer – a female Indiana Jones, and she is not afraid to get her hands dirty on her search for Night Women. But instead of a whip she strikes with her pen!”
– Luettua elämää blog

“Every woman should have this book! It’s like morning coffee or a nail file – life it impossible with it! We need The Women I Think About at Night in every woman’s bag, porch swing or hideaway. And in every man’s life too!”
– Kuriiri magazine

Rights sold:
My Friend Natalia

FINLAND, Teos (orig.)
HUNGARY, Scolar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rights sold:
The Women I Think About at Night

FINLAND:
Otava (orig.)
CZECH REPUBLIC:
Albatros Media/Motto
GERMANY:
btb Verlag/RandomHouse
LITHUANIA:
Gelmes Publishing
NETHERLANDS:
Uitgeverij Orlando
RUSSIA:
Eksmo Publishing
US:
Simon & Schuster (North American rights)

About author


Laura Lindstedt

Laura Lindstedt (b. 1976) became a critical darling with her adoption-themed debut novel Scissors (Sakset, Teos 2007), which earned her a nomination for the Finlandia Prize, the country’s most prestigious literary honour. Lindstedt’s second novel Oneiron (Teos 2015), a work of speculative fiction that takes place in the mysterious moments that follow one’s death, earned her the coveted Finlandia Prize of 2015 and was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2017. Lindstedt’s success has continued with My Friend Natalia (Teos 2019) which has earned critical acclaim and has been sold to 12 territories. Together with author Sinikka Vuola, she has authored 101 tapaa tappaa aviomies (101 Ways to Kill Your Husband, Siltala 2022) which has been nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize of 2024.

She is currently completing her Ph.D. thesis on French author Nathalie Sarraute.

About author


Mia Kankimäki

Mia Kankimäki is the author of two best-selling books which blend travelogue, memoir, biography, and women’s history. After taking a master’s degree in comparative literature at the University of Helsinki and working diligently in Finnish publishing, in 2010 she left her job and traveled to Japan to write her first book. Her books have received several literary awards, for example the Best Travel Book of the Year 2013, the HelMet Award 2015, and Otava Book Foundation’s Non-Fiction Award 2020. She currently lives in Helsinki, Finland, whenever she’s not traveling for her next book project.

Mia has been enthusiastic about Japanese culture for years and is a qualified ikebana teacher of the Sogetsu school. Her first book Things That Make One’s Hear Beat Faster took her to Kyoto where she has spent long periods of writing and making research ever since. Kankimäki’s second book The Women I Think About at Night has sold over 55,000 copies in Finland and the translation rights have been sold to 21 territories, including USA and China.

Mia's both books have been aqcuired by Japanese publisher Soshisha:

"I am delighted to share that Mia Kankimäki’s debut title, THINGS THAT MAKE ONE’S HEART BEAT FASTER, is embraced and loved by many Japanese readers. A cross between an autobiography and a travelogue, the author finds an emotional connection with a woman geographically far apart and from a different era and tries to discover who she really was. I believe this style is reflected in THE WOMEN I THINK ABOUT AT NIGHT as well. Though some of the female figures in this second book might not be well-known locally, I am looking forward to seeing how our readers will react to their lifestyles." - Daisuke Watanabe, Editor, Soshisha