In the tradition of the Danish hygge and Finnish sisu and Margareta Magnusson's The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, Niki Brantmark (The Scandinavian Home) brings readers another lesson from the global north on the philosophy of imbuing activities with reflection and appreciation. Njuta, the Swedish word meaning roughly "savor" or "enjoy," exhorts readers to bring a level of presence to everything they do, including "wild swimming" (swimming in nature) and simply sitting by a window in their own homes, pondering the dusk. Brantmark walks readers through each realm of life, providing old wisdom in the form of proverbs, ideas from her friends, and literary references.
Brantmark doesn't stop with the easy-to-savor moments of life. As someone who dreads the notoriously heavy Swedish winter months, she has taught herself to njuta even this challenging time of year. Her advice: readers can adapt their lifestyle to the season. "Reduced sunlight," she writes, "naturally makes us feel sleepier and more lethargic and research suggests we may need more sleep in winter. It's important to embrace this." In quoting a friend, she suggests: "By listening to your body and adapting to the weather, you'll feel more in tune and better able to cope with the season." Brantmarks adds: "Feel like a nap? Enjoy that slumber! Like staying in and curling up with a book? Turn those pages! Winter is a time for self-love and me time!" In short, this book offers not just a window into another culture, but also a mirror through which readers can reflect upon ways to enhance their own experiences. --Elizabeth DeNoma, executive editor, DeNoma Literary Services, Seattle, Wash.