Life at the Top of the World Growing Up on Sweden’s Arctic Circle
“Life at the Top of the World: Growing Up on Sweden’s Arctic Circle” by Sandra Saraka, published by FriesenPress on January 8, 2025, is a biography that chronicles the life of Maria Maki Anttila, a Finnish-Swede from the northern hamlet of Juoksengi. Born in the late 1800s, Maria’s early experiences on her family farm include traditional tasks such as milking cows and churning butter, while also navigating personal grief after the loss of her brothers. The narrative explores her connection to her heritage through her mother’s Finnish Bible, which offers hope during the long winter nights and the bright summers of the Arctic.
Readers will find a detailed account of Maria’s journey as she seeks new opportunities beyond her small village. In 1903, driven by a desire to explore and limited prospects for marriage, she immigrates to Superior, Wisconsin, with her best friend Hulda and Hulda’s sisters. The story unfolds as they navigate the challenges of adapting to a new culture and community, ultimately connecting with Finnish settlers in Fort William, Ontario, which later becomes Thunder Bay. This edition spans 156 pages and is presented in English, offering insights into the historical and cultural aspects of life in Scandinavia and the experiences of women in history.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘Life at the Top of the World: Growing Up on Sweden’s Arctic Circle’ highlights the story of Maria Maki Anttila, a Finnish-Swede residing in the northern hamlet of Juoksengi. Born in a sauna overlooking the Tornio River in the late 1800s, Maria learns not only to milk cows and churn butter on her family farm, but also to help with their grief at the passing of her two brothers. Her Mother’s Finnish Bible with key verses signaled with a thread, mends hearts with hope and strength both during the prolonged winter nights and summers of the midnight sun.
With a yearning to explore new worlds and with few prospects for marriage in her small village, Maria, alone immigrates to Superior, Wisconsin in 1903, grasping but a scant vocabulary of English.
She is joined by her best friend, Hulda and, Hulda’s two sisters. Together through a series of unlikely twists and turns in search of future husbands, they depart to connect with a community of Finnish settlers in Fort William, Ontario, later to become Thunder Bay.
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