This is a cute gift type book for the Scandi fans or maybe someone planning a trip to the Nordic countries. It's not extremely fact heavy, it's funny and lighthearted, and it does manage to hit some of the high notes. There's a lot of light-hearted competition and sibling rivalry between Norway, Denmark, and Sweden and this book includes a lot of the highlights.
It's very generalised (Norwegians do X, Danes do Y, and Swedes do Zed). I don't think the author meant for it to be taken literally, but I have noticed some stereotypes are stereotypes because they have some real life correlations.
The chapters are arranged thematically: style, food culture and etiquette, outdoor and family life, culture, and celebration. The book is liberally peppered with cheerful illustrations and photos.
All in all it's a cheerful and sweet book which will appeal to world travelers, dreamers, and folks who are proud of their Scandinavian heritage.
Three and a half stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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