Emily Jeremiah Knihy

An Approach to Black traces the fate of Finnish artist Anna S. and her legacy. It’s the late nineteenth century, and Anna is married to Eino, another artist. Eino gains fame and recognition for his idyllic evocations of family life. Anna, meanwhile, goes mad and is confined to an institution.In present-day London, two people are driven to try and understand Anna: a young artist named Jonathan, who is descended from Anna and Eino, and retired Finnish academic Emma, who is writing a book about her. Through their quest, An Approach to Black explores questions of female agency and creativity, as well as desire and madness.

'The blue moment - the time between light and dark, when all is in suspense.' In the wake of her parents' divorce, Eeva moves from England to Finland with her father, leaving her mother behind. Flung into the midst of a new language and culture, Eeva struggles to find her place between two worlds. A coming-of-age story with an international twist, Blue Moments follows Eeva on her journey towards womanhood. But Eeva's path is not straightforward, and she soon realises that to make peace with her own identity, she must first engage with the past.

Exploring the concept of "becoming woman" within neoliberalism and postfeminism, this analysis delves into contemporary representations of girls and young women in literature. It highlights critical themes such as agency, beauty standards, sisterhood, and sexual desire, drawing from works by authors like Helene Hegemann and Caitlin Moran. The text emphasizes the roles of failure, refusal, and anger in female identity formation, while also considering willfulness as a key aspect of female agency. It appeals to scholars in various fields, including feminist and gender studies.