I seem to be drawn to stories of remote island locations at present and this was a beautifully atmospheric setting for a coming-of-age novel translated from the original Swedish for a young adult audience.

Vinga is spending the summer with her grandfather on a Swedish island. Her mother and father are in the city on the mainland, but apart.

Vinga loves the sea, and being on the island with her grandfather. He teaches her about the tides and the weather and plies her with porridge and rhubarb lemonade.

It's a summer for Vinga to escape. Her mother and father have split up and she will shortly have a new baby step-brother. It's not a situation she's come to terms with and being on the island means she can forget about it for a while.

Vinga makes a friend in Ruth, and together they start to work on restoring a small wooden boat, under the guidance of Vinga's grandfather.

It's a lovely book which tackles some big issues sensitively, with a spirit of hope and courage, in a beautiful summer setting.