I found this book to be a slow burn - hard to get into a first and then sucked me right in with a solid finish. The story of a Sami family of reindeer herders and the injustices against them is difficult to read. We visited Norway and spoke with some Sami people at a reindeer activity and found that this is an ongoing problem even now. The story is told from the point of view of a young girl and continues into her adulthood as she carries the trauma inflicted as a youngster and tries to protect her family and heritage. Recommended. ( )

What an interesting book. We meet Elsa at age 9 when she inadvertently comes across a local man in the act of killing reindeer. There is a conflict between the indigenous populations of northern Scandinavia, whose culture and life revolves around the care of the herds and the Swedish population who resent the space the reindeer take and the special consideration they feel they must make to the Sami. The stress of this conflict is evident in school yard fights, discrimination and even suicide. Elsa also must contend with gender discrimination because women don't work with the reindeer in her culture, only the men. I learned so much from reading this book. Highly recommended. ( )

At nine Elsa sees the man who has just killed her reindeer and he gestures that he will kill her if she tells. In a life that is difficult partly because she is Sami and and more so because she isn't quite Sami enough - her mother's people left the culture - is made grimmer by the relentless stalking of the community's reindeer by outsiders. The book moves well enough but is pretty much all in one tone and mood. There is some portrayal of community life but that is dampened by Elsa's somewhat self-imposed marginalization. This isn't a book to make Swedes proud of themselves, but portrays them as indifferent to Sami issues where not downright hostile. ( )

One of those slow burn mysteries, tension all through the book building to the ultimate climax. Great ending
(I read Dalvi - a memoir that was very good and got me interested in the Sami culture, then I came across this book and I had to read it!) ( )

This novel, voted Sweden’s 2021 Book of the Year, has now been translated into English. It focuses on the Sámi living in northern Sweden.

When the novel opens in the winter of 2008, Elsa, the daughter of a reindeer herder, is 9 years old when she witnesses the killing of her beloved reindeer Nástegallu by Robert Isaksson. Because he threatens death if she speaks, she remains silent about his identity. In the second part, Elsa is 19 and has completed high school. Reindeer continue to be slaughtered but the police do nothing. Frustrated with inaction, Elsa speaks to the media but her outspokenness results only in her becoming more of a target for Isaksson so that her life is in danger.

The Sámi and their way of life are constantly under threat from a number of sources. Many Swedish people do not value the way of life of its Indigenous Peoples; the government is claiming Sámi lands for mining; and poachers like Isaksson hunt reindeer for sport and to sell the meat on the black market. In addition, climate change threatens their livelihood.

As I read, I could not but think of Canada’s First Nations who have also been subjected to systemic racism. The Sámi are sometimes called Lapps when such a term is considered a slur. Some people claim that the Sámi collectives steal each other’s reindeer; one man says, “’The Lapps were always going on about how their reindeer were starving, demanding subsidies to feed them.’” When a temporary ban is placed on snowmobiles in the reindeer pasturage when the cows are pregnant, people complain that the Sámi are unfairly given “extra rights.” Elsa’s grandmother carries traumatic memories of the nomad school which she was forced to attend. There is also a high suicide rate amongst the Sámi.

The police do nothing about the many reports of reindeer killings. Legally, the killing of reindeer is considered theft/property damage and so not a priority. A policeman argues, “’Reindeer are on par with domesticated animals like dogs or sheep, so it’s not a matter of poaching. Moose, however-‘” But reindeer are central to Sámi life, an integral part of their culture and identity, so attacks against them are perceived as attacks against the community. Elsa explains, “’But to us, it’s not a theft. It’s murder, it’s a deliberate killing.’” The Sámi attitude towards reindeer is eloquently expressed in the words whispered into a calf’s ear: “’I do not own you, you belong to yourself. You are only mine on loan.’”

The development of Elsa’s character is exceptional. We see her as a young girl and also as a young woman. As a child she is fearful, but she grows into a fighter – a feisty, determined and brave woman who wants justice for herself and her people and their way of life. Elsa also challenges Sámi patriarchal society with strict gender roles: “there was no chance that the girl in the family would take over her father’s reindeer lands or become head-of-household.” But “’what Elsa wanted was the prescribed male role. Entirely by herself.’”

Elsa is not the only character developed. The point of view of other secondary characters connected to Elsa is also included. The perspectives of Elsa’s neighbour Hanna and Elsa’s brother Mattias draw attention to the plight of young men. Hanna believes that “Boys can manage” and don’t require emotional support, but Mattias’s thoughts suggest that this belief is false, the latter being confirmed by an article I read: “Certain subgroups of the Saami – male reindeer herders, for example – are at greater risk of depression and alcoholism than their Saami peers” (https://deeply.thenewhumanitarian.org/arctic/articles/2017/08/15/introducing-a-saami-centered-solution-to-substance-abuse).

I also appreciated that there is an attempt to humanize the villain, Robert Isaksson. We learn about his background. His being abandoned by a parent resulted in an upbringing void of kindness so his behaviour as an adult, though inexcusable, is understandable.

The book touches on some heavy topics: systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, graphic descriptions of animal torture, and mental health. There is little humour, though I smiled at Elsa’s comment as a young girl: hearing about her parents’ wedding, she “was grumpy that Mom couldn’t have waited for her [to be born]” so she could have attended the party.

The novel begins slowly but tension does ramp up as the danger to Elsa increases. What I most enjoyed is learning about Sámi culture. I found myself going online to learn more and to see photos of the clothing and to listen to a joik. And I learned that the Sámi count eight seasons of the year, each closely linked to the reindeer's natural migration and the reindeer owner's tasks during a year.

Read this book and then watch the Netflix film adaptation when it is released in 2024.

I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski). ( )