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A review by bethfishreads
Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius
3.5
The story of how a Sami woman fits into contemporary Sweden.
When she was just a little girl, Elsa was the soul witness to a young man killing one of her family's reindeer calves. In fear for her life, she refuses to tell anyone what she saw. This event and the man's continued poaching of Sami herds have a profound impact on Elsa's life.
This novel holds Elsa's life experiences at its center, but it's really an exploration of how the Sami people struggle to keep their culture and traditions alive in the modern world. We see not only the clash between Eurocentric and Sami Swedish citizens but also how the law and police view the Sami. Murdered and poached reindeer are seen as stolen property, not as a direct threat to a family's livelihood and traditions. We see how the Sami people are subject to hate crimes and harassment and disrespect even by tourists.
Elsa's family and other Sami suffer from a lack of federal support, the effects of climate change, and the push-back from industry. Women's issues (respect, opportunities, traditional roles) and religion and spirituality are other themes.
I knew little of the prejudices against the Sami. Elsa's story is a good introduction, and I plan to read more widely (fiction and nonfiction) about the Sami people.
The audiobook was read by Jade Wheeler who did a fine job. I can't judge her pronunciations of the Swedish and Sami words, but she was easy to understand and held my interest.
Thanks to the publishers for review copies in various formats.
When she was just a little girl, Elsa was the soul witness to a young man killing one of her family's reindeer calves. In fear for her life, she refuses to tell anyone what she saw. This event and the man's continued poaching of Sami herds have a profound impact on Elsa's life.
This novel holds Elsa's life experiences at its center, but it's really an exploration of how the Sami people struggle to keep their culture and traditions alive in the modern world. We see not only the clash between Eurocentric and Sami Swedish citizens but also how the law and police view the Sami. Murdered and poached reindeer are seen as stolen property, not as a direct threat to a family's livelihood and traditions. We see how the Sami people are subject to hate crimes and harassment and disrespect even by tourists.
Elsa's family and other Sami suffer from a lack of federal support, the effects of climate change, and the push-back from industry. Women's issues (respect, opportunities, traditional roles) and religion and spirituality are other themes.
I knew little of the prejudices against the Sami. Elsa's story is a good introduction, and I plan to read more widely (fiction and nonfiction) about the Sami people.
The audiobook was read by Jade Wheeler who did a fine job. I can't judge her pronunciations of the Swedish and Sami words, but she was easy to understand and held my interest.
Thanks to the publishers for review copies in various formats.