The Bells of Finland Street

Joan McGrath is a Toronto Board of Education library consultant.

Elin Laukka’s family is poor: everyone who lives on Sudbury’s
Finland Street is poor. Elin’s heart is set on becoming a figure
skater and taking part in the great Carnival, but there is no money for
luxuries. Even when Elin earns money of her own, it is needed for
necessities, not for the longed-for lessons. This is especially true
after Isa, her father, is injured in a mine accident. Her grandfather,
himself at one time a champion figure skater, comes to visit and to meet
his grandchildren. Then everything changes.

Some of the attitudes of the era in which this book was written are now
long out of date, such as Father’s disapproval of Mother’s working,
even when money is desperately needed. There is also a rather
heavy-handed lesson about the makeup of Canada’s mixed population; but
the charm that has made this best-loved of all Cook’s books remains in
this attractive and welcome new edition.