The writer and artist TOVE JANSSON (1914-2001) is best known as the creator of the Moomin stories, which have been published in thirty-five languages - and are having a major relaunch through Puffin. However, for the last three decades of her life, from 1968, she turned her attention to writing for adults. Her bestseller, The Summer Book, is a modern Scandinavian classic and has sold nearly 100,000 copies in the UK alone.

I loved this book. It's cool in both senses of the word, understated yet exciting. When I finished it I read it all over again. The characters still haunt me.