Lucia and Luka

Anna Amnell: Lucia and Luka.  [written in Finnish, Lucia ja Luka],  2013 Books on Demand

Lucia and Luka [Lucia ja Luka. Kyynärän mittainen tyttö ja poika]
Helsinki, Finland. Historical novel for young readers, 8-12 years old. Written in Finnish. B/W illustration by Matti Amnell.
(Lucia Olavintytär 3.)
2013 120 pages

ISBN 978-952-498-842-1

Cover: Jan van Hemessen: Die Goldwägerin

bpk/Gemäldegalerie, SMB/Jörg P. Anders

Author's picture: Turun Tietokuva

Illustration: Matti Amnell (Jr.)
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Themes: the 16th century, 1562-1563,  Turku, Wittenberg, Prince John of Finland, Catharina Jagellonica, renaissance court in Turku, Finland,  growth hormone deficiency, Erik XIVof Sweden, Ivan the Terrible, Lucia Olavsdaughter, Luka of Dalmatia, frienship, romantic love-

Ell-sized Lucia and her 13 years old brother Hannu move to Turku. Their father believes that a golden happy time begins, because Prince John of Finland has married a rich Polish princess Catharina Jagellonica in 1562.  Father wants Lucia to be accepted as a lutist and singer at Prince John’s court and Hannu to become a page.

Foreign wise men and musicians arrive  at Turku, among them Luka Dalmatian, 19 year old short-statured  son of a rich Venetian merchant.

Hannu reveals a plot to kidnap Princess Catharina and his sister Lucia and take them to Ivan the Terrible’s court in Moscow. When Prince John’s brother King Erik of Sweden attacks Turku Lucia and Hannu flee with their parents to Wittenberg where their brother Erasmus is already studying.

From a review:

”Anna Amnell tells us about her journey as a writer of children’s books  from Italian renaissance to Turku castle through three books. Her heroine is Lucia, short in stature, who comes to the court  of Duke John and Catherine Jagellon in Turku, in the middle  of the 16th century. The background of the plot is a vast non-fiction part which deals with genetics and disturbances in growth, among other things. Besides Turku, Tallinn is also a scene of Amnell’s books, and the various ways of social behaviour are described, too.”  Vuokko Jokinen: Summary. -  Tyyris Tyllerö [Humpty Dumpty], a  journal of
children´s  culture, editor Kari Vaijärvi.  4/2013,  a special Turku edition, Ismo Loivamaa, editor. 

Lucia is En Ell-sized Girl (a short info in French, German, and Spanish)