Me, Mikko, and Annikki : A Community Love Story in a Finnish City

Award-winning Finnish graphic novelist Tiitu Takalo breaks onto the U.S. scene to tell the compelling story of the fight to save a historic working-class neighborhood and a block of flats within it, Annikki, from being replaced by concrete highrises in her hometown of Tampere, Finland. Based on a true story, Me, Mikko, and Annikki masterfully interweaves tales of Annikki's rich history, the author/illustrator's own autobiographical love story with the friend who would become her partner, and their part in the legal battle to save Annikki from demolition and the community effort to restore this unique place. From the formation of the landscape by prehistoric glaciers to the stories of the women laborers who once inhabited Annikki, Takalo explores every fascinating corner of this neighborhood she now calls home. Featuring the author/illustrator's luminous full-color art throughout, this story of a historic neighborhood's preservation is by turns cautionary, thoughtful, and humorous. It will speak to anyone who has been displaced, economically or otherwise, from somewhere they love. The original Finnish text is beautifully translated and edited by Professor Helena Halmari, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Finnish Studies, and associate professor Michael Demson.