What would Pippi do?

I was addicted to Pippi Longstocking books as a child. She was my free spirit animal. I couldn’t check Pippi books out of the library fast enough.

I had no idea that Astrid Lindgren, the author of this and many other marvelous children’s books, had such a difficult start to her adult life.

I recently caught the Swedish documentary, Being Astrid and was swept away by the injustice young Astrid endured as she struggled to secure a professional life for herself and support her infant child as a single mother, growing up in a conservative Christian family in Sweden.

Pippi’s rebellious nature, otherworldly strength, and unfailing kindness strikes me as even more significant now understanding her creator’s real world challenges.

You can catch Being Astrid now on Herflix, the place for films for, by, & about women.