Review of STOLEN by Ann-Helén Laestadius (New Release)

 4 Stars

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.

Note:  I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.