4 h 43 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A white bear taps at a poor family's window, and a daughter's life opens onto a world of secrets.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon gathers Norwegian folk tales collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. In the title tale, a youngest daughter agrees to live with a great white bear. He keeps a secret behind a strict rule, while her mother's worry and curiosity threaten to change everything.
Beyond the title story lie the tales of Boots, the youngest son who sits among the ashes while his brothers seek their fortunes. There are also tales of trolls, goats, and the small overcoming the mighty. Talking bears, princesses on glass hills, and the four winds fill a world where hunger, fear, cleverness, and love sit close together.
What you’ll discover
- A bargain with a bear Step into a poor household where a strange visitor brings a life-changing choice.
- Boots by the hearth Meet an unlikely hero whose wit and good nature matter more than strength.
- Trolls waiting in shadows Encounter huge, greedy creatures under bridges and in mountains, ready to be outwitted.
- The rhythm of threes Follow three brothers, three tasks, and three gifts through the tales' recurring patterns.
- Stories close to speech Enjoy brisk tales told in plain words, with room for both fear and love.
Who will love it
For anyone who loves fairy tales, parents who read aloud, and readers curious about Nordic folklore and the roots of familiar stories. Meet trolls, talking bears and clever heroes who win through kindness and wit.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Two friends collect the voice of Norway
- A poor family trades a daughter to a bear
- She searches past the four winds
- Boots wins with wit and a kind heart
- Trolls, goats and the small beating the big
- How the tales are told and what they mean
Who’s who
- The youngest daughterA poor girl who agrees to live with a white bear and later refuses to give up the one she loves.
- The white bearA great bear who strikes a bargain with the girl's father and keeps a secret behind a strict rule.
- The girl's motherA worried woman whose curiosity and fear lead her to give her daughter advice that changes everything.
- The North WindThe strongest wind, who knows the far road and agrees to carry the girl on the last part of her search.
- Boots (Askeladden)The youngest son who sits in the ashes, shares his food, and faces dangers with help from animals he has fed or rescued.
- The trollA huge, greedy and dim creature found under bridges and in mountains, always ready to be outwitted.
Formats and delivery
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- Audiobook
- 4 h 43 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 8 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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À l'est du soleil et à l'ouest de la lune
by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen ; Jørgen Engebretsen Moe
A girl agrees to live with a white bear who keeps a secret behind a strict rule.
Easy read2–5 hours to read25 languages
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In short
East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a collection of Norwegian folk tales gathered by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. The two friends walked and talked their way through Norwegian valleys in the middle of the nineteenth century, listening to farmers, servants and old storytellers.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Two friends collect the voice of Norway
Asbjørnsen and Moe met as young men who shared a love of country life and country speech. Asbjørnsen was drawn to the forests and the stories of the common people. Moe came from a farming background and cared deeply about language. Together they set out to record what Norwegians were telling each other, before the old tellers were gone.
The Grimm brothers were their model, but the Norwegians did something of their own. They did not simply copy down each tale as one person said it. They listened to many versions, chose the best turns, and wrote them in a lively spoken style. The result sounds like a person talking. It is full of short sentences, jokes and sudden blunt moments.
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What is East of the Sun and West of the Moon about?
It is the title tale of a girl who goes to live with a white bear, breaks a rule, and then travels to find a castle that lies east of the sun and west of the moon.
Is East of the Sun and West of the Moon a Norwegian fairy tale?
Yes. Asbjørnsen and Moe collected it from Norwegian storytellers in the nineteenth century. It belongs to the wider family of tales about animal husbands, which are found in many parts of Europe.
Who is Boots in Norwegian fairy tales?
Boots is the English name for Askeladden, the Ash Lad. He is the youngest son who sits by the hearth, is underestimated by his brothers, and wins through cleverness and kindness.
The author
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen
1812–1885 · Norwegian folklorist
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (1812–1885) was a Norwegian writer, folklorist, and forester. He was born in Christiania, now Oslo, and died there. He collected Norwegian folk tales with Jørgen Moe. Their collection, Norwegian Folktales, first appeared in 1841. He also wrote about natural history and worked in forestry.
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