The Year of Living Danishly

Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country

By: Helen Russell

Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis

When she was suddenly given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, journalist and archetypal Londoner Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: the happiest place on earth isn't Disneyland but Denmark, a land often thought of by foreigners as consisting entirely of long, dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries. What is the secret to their success? Are happy Danes born or made?

Helen decides there is only one way to find out: she will give herself a year, trying to uncover the formula for Danish happiness. From child care, education, food and interior design to SAD, taxes, sexism and an unfortunate predilection for burning witches, The Year of Living Danishly is a funny, poignant record of a journey that shows us where the Danes get it right, where they get it wrong, and how we might just benefit from living a little more Danishly ourselves.

Helen Russell is a journalist and former editor of MarieClaire.co.uk. She now lives in rural Jutland and works as a Scandinavia correspondent for the Guardian as well as writing a column on Denmark for the Telegraph.

©2015 Helen Russell (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

"A lovely mix of English sensibility and Danish pragmatism. Helen seems to have understood more about the Danish character than I have! My only worry is that it will make everyone want to have a go and my holiday home area will get overcrowded." (Sandi Toksvig)

"Russell is possessed of a razor-sharp wit and a winning self-deprecation - two of the things that make this book such a delight." (The Independent)

Interesting content. Unfortunate delivery.

Where does The Year of Living Danishly rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks right in the middle. Time well spent and very interesting, but not touching or miraculous or life changing.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I do wish that the author had read this book herself for the audiobook as there was a lot of subtle humor and personal musings that were totally lost in Lucy Price-Lewis's delivery. There were quite a few very funny moments - big and small - that managed to fall noticeably short. Knowing nothing about her beyond reading this book, I imagine that the author is very sharp-witted, fun and bold. This was a story about her personal life and it was unfortunate that it somehow felt flat and impersonal.

What three words best describe Lucy Price-Lewis’s performance?

Not well matched, too proper, lacking a flair for subtle humor.

Any additional comments?

I truly enjoyed taking a step into Danish culture and felt like the author hit every mark - from pastries to neighbors to politics to parenting. Her professional writing experience offered an unexpected quality of perspective and observation. I came to appreciate that her story wasn't just a meandering "year in the life", but followed a rather diligent and purposeful (but still lighthearted) path.

The concept of "hygge" (even if it was pronounced incorrectly) is a major theme that stands out as one of the only things I have any hope of embracing or emulating in my own life. I hope to do so though as it seems to be a wonderful thing! Unfortunately, most of the social norms and programs described could never exist outside of such a small and unique country. There is just no comparing Denmark to my fast-paced country suburb of New York City and I tried hard not to let the stark differences in maternity leave, work days, education and bakery offerings depress me.

A worthwhile read nonetheless!

Interesting listen

I was gung-ho to learn how I could learn from the Danes and apply it to my life in the U.S. I appreciated the humor too. I did wonder if the view point of the book was affected by the fact that the author and her husband are obviously wealthier than the average person. A lot of what Danish happiness is built upon is a strong socialist system, which obviously is not present in the U.S. Still, there were practical approaches to life that I did learn from and hope to apply. I also learned there are a lot of Danish practices and views I am not in favor of which was sort of reassuring that there's some perfect system out there that I'm just missing out on.

Love Helen Russell and Lucy Price - Lewis!

Ms. Russell's story is entertaining and smart. She is hilarious, likable, and real. It is so much fun to view Denmark through her perspective. Ms. Price - Lewis is a joy to listen to. I laughed out loud and often.

2nd Time Listener

I liked this book so much, I decided to listen to it a 2nd time. I figured being at home during a pandemic was similar to being at home during a Danish winter, and I could apply some hygge tips. I liked the author's style, her nicknames for everyone (Lego Man,) her humor, and I enjoyed listening to the narrator's British accent.

In the Tradition of Peter Mayle

Absolutely loved this book! An updated take on Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence", only in Denmark.