We live in restless times. Despite prosperity, freedom and knowledge, more of us than ever struggle with anxiety, loneliness and a fragile sense of belonging. Why are we so uneasy, and how can we raise children who can face life’s challenges without escaping into distraction or denial?

Calm / Chaos is a powerful and timely book about meeting life’s turbulence with acceptance, clarity and community. Known as both a celebrated artist and activist, Marthe Valle is also a nurse specialising in mental health and addiction. Through her long-running Calm / Chaos programme for schools and parents, developed in collaboration with the Norwegian Women’s Public Health Association, she explores how modern parenting has become dominated by insecurity and performance while core values like resilience, responsibility and connection are quietly eroding.

Drawing on years of professional experience, research in psychology and personal stories, Valle offers concrete tools and deep insight into how we can handle life’s inevitable discomforts and teach our children to do the same. She calls on readers to rediscover the power of comunity, to lead with love and strength, and to cultivate calm within the chaos of the modern world.