A review by tessyoung
Forty Days Without Shadow by Olivier Truc

4.0

I loved this book. The setting and the narrative combine wonderfully. I love novels where the landscape is a character in itself and this is certainly the case here. The characterisation builds on how relationships and events in time and place make people and the places they inhabit. The politics of Lapland and the experience of the Sami people is central to this book and makes me want to read other books that speak to this history and to the present challenges experienced in this area. In this novel it is the exploitation of geology, but as I write the exploitation of the ancient forests in this area is a threat to reindeer herders and raises questions about indigenous and rights and the protection of modes of living in an environment.

The mystery is interesting, the plotting quite masterly in bringing together many different strands, over a 500 year history, without it ever seeming forced, too quick or convenient or too slow. I don't want to give too much away but I would recommend this book wholeheartedly.

My only disappointment is that this is the first in a trilogy, but the only one translated into English. My other half has read the other 2 (1 in French and the other in Italian...) and he says the subsequent books are really good too and work together well. Translations in Spanish, German and Portuguese are available it seems so if you have other languages you may be able to complete the series....