There are such a lot of things that have no place in summer and autumn and spring. Everything that’s a little shy and a little rum. Some kinds of night animals and people that don’t fit in with others and that nobody really believes in. They keep out of the way all the year. And then when everything’s quiet and white and the nights are long and most people are asleep—then they appear.

When Mats came in the evenings, they would drink tea in the kitchen while reading their books and talking about them. If Katri came in, they were quiet and waited for her to leave. The back door would close, and Katri would have gone. “Does your sister read our books?” Anna wanted to know. “No. She reads literature.

All things are so very uncertain, and that's exactly what makes me feel reassured.

The hemulen woke up slowly and recognised himself and wished he had been someone he didn't know.

One can't be too dangerous, if they like to eat pancakes. Especially with jam on it.

...now and then a giggling trail of mermaids appeared in our wake. We fed them oatmeal.

Why are you in such a rush?" Sophia asked, and her grandmother answered that it was a good idea to do things before you forgot that they had to be done.