Çalınan

Sapmitrilogin #1

by Ann-Helén Laestadius, Yonca Mete Soy (Translator)

İsveç’in Kuzey Kutup Dairesi içinde kalan topraklarında kış tüm gücüyle hüküm sürmektedir. Ailesi, Sami ailelerin çoğu gibi rengeyiği yetiştiriciliğiyle uğraşan dokuz yaşındaki Elsa bir sabah çok sevdiği rengeyiğinin katledilişine tanık olur fakat kendini ve ailesini korumak için sessiz kalmayı seçer. Geçim kaynağı olmanın ötesinde yaşamsal bir önem taşıdıkları halde “çalınan” rengeyikleri ile ilgili yapılan sayısız şikâyet sonuçsuz kalacak, kanun gereği hırsızlık sayılan bu suçla ilgili herhangi bir işlem yapılmayacaktır. Ta ki aradan yıllar geçene ve artık bir yetişkin olan Elsa hem içinde bulunduğu toplumun hem de kendisinin kaderini değiştirmek için harekete geçene dek…

Ann-Helén Laestadius’un gerçek olaylardan yola çıkarak yazdığı ödüllü romanı Çalınan, İsveç’te ulusal bir çoksatar olmanın ötesine geçerek 24 dile çevrildi ve dünyanın dört bir yanından okurlarının beğenisini kazandı. Çalınan, küçük bir kızın sancılı büyüme öyküsünden, yılın büyük bir bölümünü karlar altında geçiren coğrafyadaki zorlu yaşam şartlarına; iklim krizinin etkilerinden, Sami halkının yıllardır yaşadığı baskı ve ayrımcılığa; birbirlerine sıkıca bağlı aile üyelerinden, bireylerin hayatta kalma savaşına dek pek çok konuyu zarafet ve ustalıkla ele alıyor.


“Açık yürekli ve cezbedici bir roman.”

–Financial Times

“Dünyanın her yerinde sevilecek bir büyüme öyküsü.”

–Fredrik Backman

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Indigenous, Sweden, Book Club, Crime

472 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2021

Reviews

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful and informative book. It is told from the perspective of a Sami girl and is both a family saga and an examination of the Sami way of life. The Sami are the indigenous people who live in Northern Scandinavia. Their livelihood depends on raising and herding reindeer. The atmospheric writing vividly describes the chilling Arctic wilderness and the dark winters. I found much interesting information, including photos of the Sami in their native costumes and even videos with their reindeer on the internet.

Historically, the Sami have been threatened by Swedish newcomers wanting their land. Schools were built to eliminate their language and traditional way of life. The Swedish government now endangers their livelihood by planning to build roads and establish mines on Sami grazing land. It was alarming to read how some people hunt, slaughter and mutilate reindeer. The police ignore these disturbing crimes, often listing reindeer that have been killed as stolen. This has been the fate of native populations everywhere when newcomers feel it is their right to take over land where indigenous people already live.

Elsa, at nine years old, was skiing on her way to visit the reindeer corral. She sees a neighbour, Robert, slaughter her reindeer calf. She is heartbroken and angry. He threatens Elsa and her family, and she must remain silent about who killed the reindeer. Elsa's father brings her to the police to report the animal's death, but she is afraid to admit she saw who killed it. The police never pursued the crime. The years pass, and we read about Robert taking a sick pleasure in torturing reindeer before killing them and selling the meat on the black market. Elsa becomes an adult, and even after much tragedy in her family and community, she is still troubled by the injustices, legally and socially, suffered by the Sami. She is determined to remain silent no longer.

I wish to thank NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for this fascinating and heartwrenching story echoed throughout history when new settlers move into land already occupied by indigenous populations.

[Alwynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author and journalist Ann-Helén Laestadius draws on her Sámi heritage, and a background in crime reporting, for her account of a young Sámi girl Elsa who’s grappling with injustice and prejudice in Sweden’s far north. Laestadius’s gritty but simply-told blend of crime and coming-of-age story follows Elsa from childhood to her teens. It opens with nine-year-old Elsa’s encounter with a man who’s murdered and deliberately mutilated her reindeer calf. Elsa’s too scared to identify the perpetrator but the event and the man will continue to haunt her.

I wasn’t completely convinced by Laestadius’s plot, and there are definite problems with pacing and structure. But the real strength of Laestadius’s book lies in her vivid, incredibly detailed, perspective on Sámi culture and society. The reindeer herders and craftspeople who’ve lived and worked across areas of Russian and northern Scandinavia for centuries. Elsa’s experiences expose the overwhelming array of real-life challenges faced by Sámi communities past and present: Elsa’s grandmother is a stand-in for the Sámi children snatched from their families during the 1930s, locked away in boarding schools and forbidden from speaking their own language; and Elsa’s brother’s struggles with depression are an example of the mental health issues affecting a generation of young Sámi men. Laestadius also uses Elsa’s conflicted visions of her future as a Sámi woman as a means of probing into the internal dynamics of Sámi society with its deep-seated, patriarchal hierarchies and traditions.

The majority of the narrative is centred on the threats faced by Elsa’s marginalised community, mirroring the realities of everyday existence for Sweden’s Sámi population. Climate change is destroying their reindeer herds’ grazing lands. Encroachment by mining and other industries further endangers their habitat. Racism is rife and often relentless. Laestadius’s harrowing depictions of the torture and slaughter of reindeers is an accurate reflection of an increasingly common form of hate crime, a means of terrorising the Sámi people that both undermines their livelihoods and openly ridicules the close bonds between communities and their herds. Equally realistic is the refusal of local police to actively investigate these crimes, choosing instead to file them under simple theft. It’s hard to summarise my reactions to this one, some sections were far too slow and stretched out, others overstuffed with material. Sometimes Laestadius’s approach felt forced and lacking in subtlety but then she’d suddenly surprise me with a series of powerful, incredibly moving scenes. Translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Bloomsbury for an ARC

[Izabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mitt val till vår bokcirkel. En bok som borde läsas av alla, speciellt om man som jag är ickesame och bor i sapmi. Sen Övik blev samisk förvaltningskommun 2019 har vi på biblioteket försökt utveckla verksamheten för att den ska leva upp till kommunens nya åtagande. Vi har kommit en bit på väg men har fortfarande mycket att jobba på. Själv har jag fått en helt annan insikt om hur vi faktiskt behandlat samer genom historien/nu. Och det faktum att det knappt pratas om i storsamhället. Det känns som att det börjat komma mer litteratur inom ämnet, tex Herrarna satte oss hit, Himlabrand och snart Mats Jonssons bok När vi var samer.

Stöld lyckas vara både folkbildande och spännande samtidigt som den synliggör ett systematiskt förtryck. Karaktärerna är skickligt skrivna och känns oerhört verkliga. En bok som verkligen behövs.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes one group of people hate another? There are many possible reasons. Inevitably, indigenous people seem to be targeted often; such is the case of the Sami people. They are reindeer herders living the northern regions of Sweden, Norway, and Finland, above the Arctic Circle. For generations, these proud people have maintained their culture and way of life. The harsh climate has always been a challenge, but now the temperature extremes caused by global warming make it even more difficult.There’s not much they can do about that, but poachers and the disregard of authorities to the Sami concerns may be addressed if there are individuals who are willing to fight for justice.


Nine-year-old Elsa is witness to her pet reindeer being tortured and killed. Warned by the attacker to keep quiet, she lives in fear of the increasing threats to her and the continuing murder of the reindeer. Ten years is enough; this now young woman decides to fight for the justice she knows her people deserve. The risks to her life will not stop her.

This is a suspenseful story that begins slowly but moves quickly to a full throttle. The author, Ann-Helen Laestadius, is of Sami descent and based this novel on actual events. It was named Sweden’s Book of the Year for 2021. I loved learning about the life of these people who live in one of the coldest places inhibited by humans. Brrr! I am still shivering.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started off really enjoying this book. The scenes of Sami life were vivid and exciting. But after several pages of that, I began to wish more would happen. There is some action in the first half of the book, but nowhere near enough, and there is no mystery at all since we know almost from the very start who is killing the reindeer. This book felt like a remonstration of racism more than anything else. Which is all well and good and something I'm all for, but it got boring fast. It was painful to read about all the horrible things that were happening to the Sami in general and the characters in the book in particular. I get that that was the point, but it read like a sermon more than a novel. As much as I loved the setting and some of the insights into the Sami way of life, I was absolutely DYING for more plot. I'd say to myself "Please please let something finally happen in this next chapter." And then, something totally random and not related to the plot at all would happen, just so we could see how awful the Sami really have it. So many things happened for seemingly no reason. It felt like fluff, like filler, like someone was padding out a book to give it more pages. But there still was no interesting plot to rally around. Just a series of random events that were only vaguely connected. I can see how this will make a good movie or TV show, but it did not make a good book.

[Meike Bookfriends4ever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es hat 4,5 Sterne bekommen, ist aber trotzdem ein Jahreshighlight für mich! Triggerwarnung vor explizierter Tierquälerei und Tiermord!

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story follows nine-year-old girl Elsa when she encounters her calf brutally killed and her parents immediately believe that it was an act of terror as their family is of Sámi heritage (the indigenous Finno-Ugric people). Despite going to the local police about the incident, they do little to nothing for them as they see it as “minor theft” while the event changes Elsa and her family. A decade later and now an adult, Elsa is now more determined to bring the man responsible for the killing and recent attacks.

Laestadius’ novel is a very tense and emotionally harsh coming-of-age story about family, heritage and justice that does get awfully heinous at times. The way Elsa’s story starts pretty much shows you how the novel’s tone and feel is. There’s plenty of story that also centers on others than Elsa and her family that can make it feel a bit overwhelming. She still manages to be the most engaging part of the story as she goes through so much to find justice for her family and their reindeer. Bittersweet, but still ends satisfyingly. A- (91%/Excellent)

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Sterne, einen Abzug gab es für langatmige Passagen.

"Das Leuchten der Rentiere" ist ein eindrucksvoller Roman, der uns Leser in die Welt der Sami in Nordschweden entführt, über deren Kultur ich gerne mehr erfahren wollte.

Die Geschichte folgt der jungen Elsa nach einem traumatischen Erlebnis.

Die Autorin beleuchtet mit ihrem Roman
der kein Krimi, sondern eher eine Milieustudie ist, Themen wie Identität, Tradition und das Aufeinandertreffen von Vergangenheit und Gegenwart.

A. Laestadius fängt die Schönheit und die Herausforderungen des Lebens in der arktischen Wildnis wunderbar ein und gibt mit starken Charakteren und einer meist fesselnden Handlung, wie von mir erhofft, tiefe Einblicke in die Kultur und Traditionen der Sami, die den Schweden ein Dorn im Auge sind.
Leider werden sie auch heute noch als Menschen zweiter Klasse gesehen und behandelt.

Die Gleichgültigkeit der Behörden und die Brutalität der Täter gegenüber den Tieren war teilweise beim Lesen schwer zu ertragen, ebenso die grauenvolle, realistisch beschriebene Tierquälerei.

Ein bewegendes und stimmiges Buch, das mein Herz berührte und mich wahrscheinlich noch lange nach dem Lesen nicht loslassen wird.

Die hohe Suizidrate unter den leidenden, oft depressiven Sami, verwundert nicht, da sie mit vielen Problemen von der Gemeinschaft und dem schwedischen Staat alleingelassen werden.

Auszug:
"Die samische Flagge wehte über dem Dorfgemeinschaftshaus.

Samen in Kolts eilten an Elsa vorüber auf das Gebäude zu, viele kannten und grüßten sie.
Heute tagte das Plenum des Sametings zum letzten Mal, und Minna war in der Stadt.
Sie war aus Umeå gekommen, um sich die Debatte anzuhören.

Sie umarmten einander lange.

"Du machst dem Wort Nomade wirklich alle Ehre" sagte Elsa und liess ihre Hand über Minnas Schal mit den Fransen auf ihrem Rücken gleiten.
"Wie schaffst du das nur?"
"Irgendjemand muss es ja machen", sagte sie lächelnd.

Ihr Haar war nachgewachsen, aber sie hatte immer noch eine Kurzhaarfrisur.
Ihr Blick war genauso scharf wie immer.

Sie reiste durchs Land.
Zu den Protesten der Bergarbeiter, Demonstrationen für die Rechte der Samen und vielen langen Tagen am Obersten Gerichtshof in Stockholm, wo die Vertreter des Staates die Samen schamlos als Lappen bezeichnet hatten.

Immer noch kam in Elsa die Wut hoch, wenn sie daran dachte, und sie selbst hatte sich die Live-Übertragung im Sameradio nicht anhören können.
Minna jedoch hatte stundenlang zugehört, wie das Sameby Girjás vor Gericht gegen den Staat darum kämpfte, sein Recht zur Vergabe der Kleinwildjagd zurückzuerhalten."

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tack Romanus & Selling för recensionsexemplar!

Elsa är nio år när hon bevittnar en man, som hon väl känner igen och bor i samma by som henne, som dödar hennes egna ren. Nástegallu. Hon skräms till tystnad och vågar inte säga något när polisen blir inblandat, och fallet blir ett av många som inte tar sig längre än förundersökning. Händelsen förföljer henne upp till vuxen ålder där en vardag är präglad med tjuvjakt av renar och där samer och andra bybor har sådan rivalitet mellan varandra så att det förgiftar även kommande generationer.

När jag såg att Ann-Helén skulle komma ut med en vuxenroman, med ett sådant här fantastiskt fint omslag, var jag tvungen att nypa mig i armen. Jag läste hennes Tio över ett när den kom ut och föll pladask för hennes skrivsätt och metoden hon har för att berätta en historia. Och ja, det höll hela vägen även i Stöld. Och när jag läst sista sidan, var det så nära att jag bara stängde boken, öppnade den igen och började om. En av det bästa böckerna jag läst i hela mitt liv, det är vad Stöld är.

Ann-Helén lyckas få in känslan av norr; kylan, känslan, naturen och fridfullheten över att vistas i naturen. Och sedan i allt det där vackra lyckas hon skapa en alldeles för verklig och hemsk bild av många samers vardag. Men att läsa och få reda på att hat finns mot Sveriges urinvånare, det gör mig mörkrädd. Och också att Ann-Helén i denna makalöst berättande bok även tar in klimatkatastrofen med ändrade väderförhållanden och renar som inte kan äta renlav under vintrarna på grund av temperaturerna. Om hur Sapmí drabbas hårdare för att det är högt upp, närmare Nordpolen. Nä hörni, det här är makalöst.

Ann-Helén skriver med en sådan känsla hela vägen igenom och det känns som att hon till och med hade kunnat få en sten berörd. Karaktärerna känns mänskliga och verkliga, lätta att förstå och veta deras mål och motiv. Deras drömmar, verklighetsundanflykter och mardrömmar. Skrivsättet är långmält men alltid med tonen av att vilja berätta något viktigt. Det är en långsam berättelse, men drivet finns ändå i den hela tiden och gör det svårt att sluta vända blad. Även om jag ibland var tvungen att lägga ner den för att jag blev så äcklad av vissa scener.

Har du inte läst den här? Gör det. Visste du inte om att den här fanns? Nu vet du och kan läsa den. Läs. Lär. Försök förstå. Och ta till er.

[İpek Dadakçı · Rating 4 out of 5]

Çalınan, İsveç’in yerli halkı Samileri anlatan çok güzel bir roman. Sami halkı, İskandinavya’nın kuzey kesiminde yaşayan, kendine has kültürü, dili ve gelenekleri olan, çoğunlukla hayvancılıkla (özellikle ren geyiği yetiştiriciliği) yaşamını idame ettiren bir etnik grup. İskandinavya’nın Aborjinleri ya da Kızılderilileri olarak düşünebileceğimiz Sami halkı, ne yazık ki tıpkı onlar gibi soykırıma ve yüzyıllarca sistemli bir şekilde asimilasyona uğramış.

Roman, Sami bir ailenin hikayesi ekseninde bu halkın geleneklerini, kültürünü, iklim kriziyle giderek baş etmesi daha da zor bir hal alan iklim şartlarında verdikleri hayat mücadelesini, karşılaştıkları adaletsizlikleri ve sürekli ikinci sınıf vatandaş muamelesi görerek sürdürmeye çalıştıkları yaşantılarını anlatıyor. Hikaye, bir Sami kasabasında, beslediği ren geyiğinin bir kasaba sakini tarafından öldürüldüğüne şahit olan dokuz yaşındaki bir kız çocuğuyla başlıyor. Bir yandan bu acısıyla baş etmeye çalışan çocuğun diğer yandan adalet için verdikleri mücadeleye sürekli ket vurulan yetişkinlerin yaşadıklarına öfkesiyle büyümesine tanıklık ediyoruz. Ardından, bu küçük kız çocuğunun genç bir kadınken bu adaletsiz düzene karşı kendince verdiği mücadeleyi okuyoruz.

Yazar Ann-Helén Laestadius, Sami halkının yaşantısını, tarihini, kültürünü, geleneklerini, ailedeki cinsiyet rollerinden inançlara, asimile edilmek için zorla gönderildikleri göçmen okullarından çalıştırıldıkları madenlere, geleneksel kıyafetlerinden evlilik ritüellerine kadar, her şeyiyle çok iyi yedirmiş kurguya. Roman boyunca, o karda ayazda ve o insanların arasında, onların dünyasında hissediyorsunuz kendinizi. Anlattıkları itibarıyla biraz durağan başlayan romanı güzel buldum başlarda fakat ilerledikçe yazarın kurguyu örmekte, olayları bağlamakta ve yine kültürel unsurları kurguya dahil etmekte ne kadar başarılı olduğunu fark ettim. Özellikle son 100 sayfasını soluksuz okuduğumu söyleyebileceğim romanı, bu nedenle bitirdiğimde çok güzel buldum.

Sade anlatımıyla yormayan, akıcı kurgusuyla alıp götüren ama derdini de a’dan z’ye anlatabilen, etkileyici, çok, çok güzel bir hikaye. İş Bankası’nın bu serisinin en iyilerinden biri bence.

4.5/5

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elsa ist erst 9 Jahre alt, als ihr Rentier getötet wird. Sie sieht den Mörder ihres Rens noch am Tatort - und dieser gibt ihr mit einer Geste unmissverständlich zu verstehen, was passiert, wenn sie nicht den Mund hält. Jahrelang lebt sie mit dem Wissen, wer ihr Rentier getötet hat und der Schuld, die sie mit ihrem Schweigen auf sich geladen hat. Denn das Töten von Rentieren häuft sich in der Gegend, in der Elsas Familie ihre Herde unterhält, die Morde werden jedoch nur als Diebstahl geahndet und ohne Zeugen von der örtlichen Polizei nicht weiter verfolgt. Als Elsa beginnt, sich gegen dieses System aufzulehnen, gerät sie in das Visier des Mannes, der sie vor so vielen Jahren zum Schweigen zwang...

"Das Leuchten der Rentiere" von Ann-Helén Laestadius, übersetzt von Maike Barth und Dagmar Mißfeldt, ist ein sehr besonderes Buch dessen Spannung, Zauber und vor allem Wissen sich den Lesenden erst nach und nach erschließt. Die schwedische Journalistin und Autorin gliedert ihr Buch in mehrere Teile, der erste spielt sich in Elsas Kindheit ab und schildert die ersten Monate nach der Ermordung ihres Rentiers, als der 9-jährigen langsam bewusst wird, dass die Welt um sie herum nicht heil, sondern voller Hass auf ihr indigenes Volk, den Sámi, Unterdrückung und Ausweglosigkeit ist. Gerade dieser erste Teil ist zwar essentiell für die Geschichte, hat mir den Einstieg in das Buch aber ob der Perspektive einer 9-jährigen etwas erschwert. Ab dem zweiten Teil, der rund zehn Jahre später spielt, hat mich "Das Leuchten der Rentiere" aber extrem gefesselt und nicht mehr losgelassen.

Ich hatte vor dem Lesen des Romans noch nie etwas von den Samen, einem indigenen Volk im Norden Fennoskandinaviens, gehört und entsprechend viel gelernt bei der Lektüre. Ann-Helén Laestadius ist selbst gebürtige Sámi, erzählt die Geschichte also aus einer Own-Voice-Perspektive heraus. Im Nachwort verdeutlicht sie, wie viel Wahrheit und reeller Hintergrund hinter der Fiktion im Buch stecken, was mich sehr berührt hat. Die Autorin erzählt von Rentiermorden, die die Existenzgrundlage der Samen bedrohen, aber auch von dem Hass und der Missgunst, die dem indigenen Volk immer wieder entgegen schlagen. Sie berichtet zudem von der Perspektivenlosigkeit junger Sámi, von Unverständnis und veralteten Rollenbildern, die es gerade den Frauen des Volkes schwer machen, Fuß zu fassen. Auch die Folgen, die die Klimakrise für ein indigenes Volk wie die Samen, deren Existenz stark von der Natur abhängig ist, hat, verdeutlicht Ann-Helén Laestadius.

Ich möchte "Das Leuchten der Rentiere" gerne mit Nachdruck empfehlen - es lohnt sich, beim Lesen dran zu bleiben, denn die Geschichte ist nicht nur wirklich toll geschrieben, sondern auch sehr relevant und aufrüttelnd.

[John Hatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another fictional story with a factual background. It is unfortunate confirmation of humanity's apparently unlimited ability to mistreat humanity, in this case the hatred, intolerance, bigotry, and discrimination in the Sápmi region of northern Europe.

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stöld (English = Theft) is an incredibly beautiful and gripping book. While it’s written as fiction, it’s built on real events. Also, kudos to the audiobook narrator for really capturing the atmosphere and tone of the book.

The title of the book, Stöld, refers to the brutal and torturous poaching of the Sami’s reindeer, something that is labelled as “theft”, making these crimes low priority. This means that hundreds of reported cases are closed before a preliminary investigation is done. The book shows the hostile tensions between the Sami and other villagers, and between Sami as well. But the book is so beautiful too, showing so much heart for the reindeer keeping, family, friends and the Sami life. The keeping of reindeer is so much more than an occupation for the Sami, it’s a part of their life.

This book was very educational. Not only does it teach the reader about how Sami are treated, but also brings the reader into the life of the reindeer herding part of the Sami community. And I’m happy the author wrote and published it. I saw an interview with her the other week where she talked about the difficulties about writing and publishing this subject. I’m happy she did because there’s so many people who doesn’t know about this. And having this book written as a novel, and not “non-fiction” format, makes it more accessible for more people to read.

[Kingofmusic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Leben der Sami

„„Ich besitze dich nicht. Du gehörst dir selbst. Du bist mir nur geliehen.“ Die Rentiere waren Biekka Oapmi, Eigentum des Windes. Als sie klein war, hatte Áddjá ihr das genau erklärt.“ (S. 350)

Das obige Zitat war eins, was sich mir nachhaltig eingeprägt hat und zeigt meiner Meinung nach, mit welcher Ehrfurcht die Autorin Ann-Helén Laestadius in ihrem Roman „Das Leuchten der Rentiere“ (erschienen im Hoffmann und Campe Verlag in der Übersetzung von Maike Barth und Dagmar Mißfeldt) u. a. über die Arbeit mit Rentieren erzählt.

Wer jetzt einen romantischen Seelenwärmer-Roman aus dem hohen Norden erwartet, sollte die Hände von diesem Buch lassen. Vielmehr geht es der bereits mehrfach ausgezeichneten schwedischen Autorin mit samischen Wurzeln darum, auf ein Problem aufmerksam zu machen: die sinnlose Abschlachtung von Rentieren und der damit verbundenen rassistischen Behandlung der Sami.

Die neunjährige Elsa überrascht den Mörder ihres geliebten Rentiers Nástegallu. Da er eindeutige Zeichen macht, sie zu töten, wenn sie ihn verrät, flüchtet sie sich in ihre Angst und schweigt. Erst Jahre später traut sie sich, etwas gegen den Mörder zu unternehmen…

Ann-Helén Laestadius konnte bei der Arbeit an diesem teils auf realen Geschehnissen basierenden Roman auf hundert Strafanzeigen wegen Mordes an Rentieren zurückgreifen. Sie alle haben eins gemeinsam: aus „Mangel an Beweisen“ wurden alle umgewandelt in „Diebstahl“ und entsprechend eingestellt. Diese „Praxis“ begleitet die Rentierhalter im hohen Norden Schwedens schon lange. Doch es regt sich mehr und mehr Widerstand. Auch kritisiert die Autorin die Arbeit der Polizei in ihrem Roman, die immer wieder Ausreden parat hat, um nicht oder nur sehr langsam zum Tatort zu kommen. Außerdem kommt der allgegenwärtige Rassismus gegenüber den Sami zur Sprache – erschütternd…

Die zum Teil detaillierte Beschreibung der Abschlachtung von Rentieren ist schon harter Tobak für das Gemüt des Lesers, aber um aufmerksam zu machen, muss man die Realität schon mal (schonungslos) darstellen – und das ist der Autorin eindrucksvoll gelungen.

Das Buch hat mich nicht von Anfang an gepackt; es braucht etwas, um „richtig“ in Schwung zu kommen. Dabei kann ich gar nicht mal genau eruieren, woran es letztlich gelegen hat. Vielleicht an der teils holprigen Übersetzung? Aber wer bin ich, dass ich die Arbeit der Übersetzerinnen kritisiere – ich kann ja noch nicht mal selber einen Text übersetzen *g*.

In einem kurzen Glossar am Ende werden wichtige Begriffe aus dem Samischen erläutert; vieles wird aber auch im Text schon erklärt.

Was bleibt nach der Lektüre? Eine Leseempfehlung für alle, die etwas über die Arbeit und das Leben der Sami, ihre Probleme, ihre Kultur etc. wissen wollen.

4 sehr gute Sterne!

©kingofmusic

[G_occasionally_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: I had the privilege of meeting the author, Ann-Helén Laestadius, and she's lovely. This makes the book even more perfect 😍

This book is everything. More than everything. 🦌🦌🦌❄️❄️❄️

Ann-Helén Laestadius’ meticulous account of the life of the Sámi people and the thriller that unravels are just perfect — I am so glad this was my first book of 2024.

While the novel (partially based on real events) tells the coming-of-age story of Elsa, a Sámi, who grows up in the Swedish part of Lapland, it’s much more than that. The novel is about Sámi people, their indigenous culture, and their struggles.
🦌 They are threatened by poachers and outsiders who do not appreciate/understand/dismiss their way of life.
🦌 Their future is endangered by environmental change.
🦌 They endure (still today) discrimination and decolonization.
🦌 They are physically close but struggle individually (sometimes with tragic consequences).

On top of this, the book paints a beautiful picture of the symbiotic relationship between nature and humans and of a group of people who relentlessly fight for their rights and justice. Pride, strength, and tenacity are at the core of Elsa’s story and her growth into a courageous woman who’ll fight for her people and reindeer.
Finally, Laestadius, a Sámi herself, does a majestic job capturing Lapland, its people, and their hearts ❤️.



[Note: I live in Sweden (I am not Swedish though), so the book might resonate more with me than others]

[Andy Weston · Rating 2 out of 5]

This reads as of ahead of time the author made a list of the various sensitive social and political issues affecting Europe at the moment, and was determined to fit them in somewhere, at the detriment to a coherent plot line, or indeed, any decent writing.

I don’t know why I should be surprised though, as I’ve come across this many times in contemporary fiction. I should have learnt my lesson by now, and should have read between the lines of the various media promotions, and never taken this on.

I spent a couple of months in the Swedish Arctic last year, and met and chatted with several Sámi people, and that was what initially interested me about the book.

I’m very cynical about its themes, and it is quite revealing that even before it was published it was commissioned by Netflix.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted to wait until I read it a second time before writing a review. I didn't know anything about the Sámi who are the Indigenous population of Sweden. I had to wonder the entire time if Elsa is a true Indigenous name, and that was distracting (thanks Disney 🤦🏻‍♀️). At least her reindeer's name wasn't Sven 😅.

Something tells me that this fiction has happened far too many times in different iterations. Certainly, we know similar have and continue to happen to the Indigenous in the US and very likely anywhere else the Indigenous have resided.

Lots of moral conflicts to walk through, lots of frustration with the system that makes it impossible for police to be effective, which leads to me wondering how competent police are or how morally compassionate they can be, and the courage of one youth over that of all the adults who persecute and support her.

This being a trilogy, I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

About a sami girl in a sami community that came in close contact with a man poaching her own reindeer and she was threatened to silence. The book follows her a few years after and the poaching is still a very big problem in sami community but the police won't do anything about it. This book is different from anything I've read before and I learned a bit about sami culture and reindeer keeping that I had no clue about. At times I could feel the for the characters, with their desperation and tiredness of never been taking searlsy. A very good book

[Ellinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Buch spielt in einem Setting, das für mich bisher eher unbekannt war: Bei den Samen in Nordschweden beobachtet die neunjährige Elsa, wie ein schwedischer Nachbar ihr Rentier tötet. Er macht ihr klar, was es für Folgen hat, wenn sie ihn verrät. Das Mädchen ist völlig verängstigt und verrät den Mann nicht, obwohl ihre Aussage den vielfachen Rentiermörder überführen könnte. Dieses Erlebnis bestimmt ihr weiteres Leben und als Erwachsene setzt sie alles daran, in endlich zu stellen. Doch sie stößt auch in Kreisen der Polizei auf großen Widerstand.
Das Buch ist in drei Teile eingeteilt. Der erste, der in Elsas Kindheit spielt, war leider etwas zäh, so dass der Einstieg ins Buch nicht so leicht war. Dies kam für mich überraschend, da ich normalerweise Geschichten aus der Perspektive von Kindern sehr mag. Im zweiten Teil nimmt die Geschichte deutlich an Fahrt auf, auch die Personen treten nun schärfer hervor. Und der dritte Teil ist ein absolut unerwarteter und bombastischer Abschluss.
Ich fand die Hintergründe des Romans, der auf wahren Geschehnissen basiert, sehr spannend. Ich habe viel über das Leben der Samen gelernt. Mir war zwar bekannt, dass sie teilweise unterdrückt wurden und werden, wieviel Widerständen sie sich aber häufig gegenüber sehen, war auch mir neu

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keine leichte Kost.
Rezension folgt

[Tubi(Sera McFly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

İsveç’in kuzeyindeki Sami halkından 9 yaşındaki Elsa’nın Sami halkı için kutsal sayılan ren geyiklerinden birinin katledilmesine tanık oluşuyla başlıyor roman. Yazar, Sami halkının yaşadığı ayrımcılıkla hayvan haklarının değerini bir arada işliyor Çalınan’da.

Bir halkın kültürünü, yaşam kavgasını, bu halk için ren geyiklerinin önemini, erkek ve kız çocuklarından beklenenleri, hayvan katliamı söz konusu olduğunda yetkililerin takındığı duyarsızlığı, devletin öncelikler sıralamasını, İskandinav toplumunda sık karşılaşılan derin depresyonu ele alıyor. Elsa’nın çocukluğundan ilk gençliğine atlayan zaman boyunca ailesi ve çevresindeki karakterlerin hikayelerini de yüzeysel geçmemiş genç yazar. Lasse, Mathias, Hanna… hepsini bağrıma bastım. Çeviri çok akıcı. Romanın kötü karakteri Robert’a karşı mücadeleyi bir polisiye roman kurgusunda okuyoruz. Robert’ın zalim bencilliği bir açıdan doğayı sömüren her şeyi temsil ettiği için tek boyutlu olduğunu düşünmüyorum.

Bu dünyada yalnızca bir misafir olduğumuzu, doğanın sahibi olmadığımızı, hayvanların eşya, bazı halkların diğerlerinden üstün olmadığını bir kez daha hatırlatan hikayelerden. Finalini de Elsa’nın mücadelesi ve karakteri kadar sevdim.

[Edita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes Hanna had the feeling that something was too late. The feeling of having lost something.
*
His promises had left her in the wind. And the answers she had waited for, that were supposed to return on the wind, never came.
*
Don’t let anyone get too close. Don’t talk about it. Just let it be.
*
It was always harder to keep going once her anger had drained away.When hopelessness took over.
When the feeling that nothing mattered struck her full force.
*
The breath of the reindeer herders turned to frosty vapor. In the end, they didn’t have the strength to be angry. There was only room for the deepest sorrow.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visiškai mano tipo knyga, labai džiaugiuos pataikius! 💛

Supratau, kad man patinka, kai knygoje išgirstu mažai girdėtą balsą. Kai kalbama apie tikrus įvykius, kai leidžiama pajust atmosfera, kai ji įtikina. Savotiški balsai tyruose, kurie galų gale prasimuša ir priverčia suklust, permąstyt ir išgirst. O tada praplečia akiratį. 💛 Ar tai būtų šiaurės Korėja, Afganistanas, ar vilko vaikai, ar holokaustas, sektantiškos bendruomenės, teatras ar mokykla. Šioje knygoje - samių tauta. Nerealu, kai uždanga, kurią turėjai savy prasiskleidžia ir pro jos plyšelį staiga pamatai kažką naujo, nežinomo, netikėto. Negaliu teigti, kad imi iki galo suprast viską, kas vyksta, bet bent iš dalies prisiliest ir pabandyt susidaryt savo nuomonę.

"Būti samiu, reiškė neštis savo istoriją, stovėti vaikystėje ties šita nelengva našta ir pasirinkti, nešti ją ar ne. Bet kaip galėtum pasirinkti ką kitą, nei nešti savo giminės istoriją ir perduoti paveldą toliau? Po krūtine skaudžiai nudiegė. Lasė stengėsi, jis norėjo ir nešė, bet galiausiai jam nebeužteko jėgų. Pasakyti, kad nori kažko kitobuvo nepriimtina. O ji ir neklausė, štai, kaip buvo."

Man patiko kuriama atmosfera, kuri rodė stiprų ryšį su gentim, gamta ir elniais, bet taip pat atskleidė tamsius taškus, įbauginimą, grasinimus, rasizmą, šeimoje nutylimas temas, neišgedėtą skausmą ir netektis. Tamsa ir niūruma slėgė ir baugino, bet labai tiko. Pasakojomo lėtumas - taip pat.

Džiaugiausi galėdama nuo vaikystės išgyvent kartu su pagrindine veikėja, kartu augt ir ją pažint tokią visapusišką.

Ir net jeigu nesu didžiausia gyvūnų teisių entuziastė, buvo akimirkų, kai kraujas nuo siaubo stingo ir širdį spaudė!

"Elniai yra tylūs. Jie nešaukia, jei į juos bedamas peilis, tyli, kai erniai kandžioja jiems sprandus ir kai jiems suparalyžiuoja kūnus, jie neturi savyje riksmo."

Puiki, puiki knyga man. 💛

[Paulien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wat was dit boek mooi en frustrerend om te lezen. Het onrecht wat de Sami wordt aangedaan vond ik echt niet prettig om te lezen en ik kan me de boosheid daarin dan ook heel goed voorstellen. Dat dit daadwerkelijk gebeurd is schokkend.

In de vertaling zijn soms wat foutjes geslopen, maar het waren er zo weinig dat ik me er niet aan stoorde.

Een tip voor als je het boek nog gaat lezen: maak een aantekening van de vertaling van de Sami benamingen voor een aantal familieleden. Deze ga je door het gehele boek nodig hebben.

[Karenina (Nina Ruthström) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laestadius nya roman Stöld (ISBN: 9789189051348) bygger på delvis verkliga händelser. Det handlar som omslaget vittnar om, stöld av renar. Eller snarare om mord och djurplågeri, men lagen är utformad så att brottet betecknas som stöld. Det är värt mycket att författaren berättar om den diskriminering och rasism samt hatbrott som samer drabbas av. För att inte tala om vad de utsatts för genom historien. Det är ett tema som intresserar mig.

Inledningsvis uppstår en skön känsla i mig när jag läser om vardagslivet i Sápmi. Vi får följa Elsa, hennes familj och släktingar under ett decennium. Av den samiska kulturen som är tätt sammanbunden med naturen och renarna, finns mycket att lära. Författaren har skrivit många vackra miljöbeskrivningar. Men framförallt är det här en samhällskritisk politisk roman som också innefattar psykisk hälsa, feminism, rasism, bortglömd landsbygd och klimathot. Samernas leverne hotas dessutom av rovdjur och gruvdrift.

Elsa blir vittne till ett renmord och utsätts efter det för hat och hot. Det är mycket hemskt som händer. Men jag kan ändå inte riktigt känna för Elsa mer än som en karaktär i en bok. Hon känns något tillrättalagd och stereotypisk. Ändå är hon inte i närheten av så klichéartad som skurken. Han är smutsig, sjukskriven, han spottar snus och super, han saknar fruntimmer, har haft en dålig uppväxt. När han ser att himlen är vacker, skiter han väl i det. Han njuter av djurplågeri och fräser snor. Och jag undrar om inte byns prinsessa Elsa också är snorig ibland?

Jag gillar farmor Ahkku bäst. Hon är den mest realistiska karaktären, som jag faktiskt kan se framför mig i sin korta magra gestalt. Hon är snäll och sur, bestämd och egensinnig, men har också fel ibland. Jag förstår att diskriminering leder till minskade friheter exempelvis hur man kan skriva en bok. Många uppskattar säkert Elsas hjältestatus. Men jag hade föredragit om Elsa fick en ”negativ” (realistisk) tanke. Kanske om att det känns jobbigt att åka ut till renarna eller att hon inte har lust att sätta på sig kolten. Åtminstone en gång. Det är helt enkelt inte riktigt så feel-bad som jag vill ha det.

Trots alla dessa ord, romanen är 437 sidor, kommer jag inte karaktärerna riktigt nära. De sista 150 sidor ökar dock spänningen och slutet är fint.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

#ReadAroundTheWorld #Sweden

Stolen is the first in an award-winning trilogy by Swedish Sámi author Ann-Helén Laestadius. It has also been made into a Netflix film.

The story is based on real events and set in Jokkmokk, in the Lapland province of Sweden, north of the Arctic Circle. This is part of the broader area called Sápmi, the traditional homelands of the Indigenous Sámi people of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The Sámi are best known for their semi-nomadic lifestyle herding reindeer. They have also often been involved in fishing, sheep herding and fur trapping. The Sámi were often previously known as Lapps or Laplanders which is now considered an offensive label.



Location of Sápmi



Sámi outside a lavvu, c. 1910, Wikipedia


The story begins with nine-year old Elsa witnessing a man brutally kill her beloved reindeer calf Nastegallu, and then threaten her to keep silent. This is her first encounter with the police who refuse to attend the scene and simply label the crime a theft, and claim they cannot do anything. The crimes continue to occur with reindeer being brutally slaughtered and tortured. This goes hand-in-hand with a deep seated animosity and racism towards the Sámi, their beliefs and their way of life. This is perpetuated by government edicts which discriminate against the Sámi people, their language and encroach on their land.


Nils Torbjörn Nutti, reindeer herder extraordinaire.Photos: Lola Akinmade Åkerström, Adventure.com

Ten years later, as events have continued to escalate, Elsa decides to push back and demand action of the apathetic or even complicit police. This brings the hunter after her and creates a dramatic climax.

I found this a wonderful story that opened my eyes to an area and people I knew little about. The author describes facets of the culture including the traditional dress, the gákti, and the traditional style of singing, called joiking. A joik is often wordless or has simple repetitive syllables like a chant and evokes a person, animal, place or feeling. ISÁK is a modern Sámi band which blends traditional joik with contemporary styles (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OCRm...).


Inga Lajla Aira Balto dressed in a gákti from Jåhkåmåhkke/Jokkmokk, Sweden. Photograph by Chloe Accardi, 2018.

Laestadius also draws our attention to the challenges the Sámi people face including the impact of climate change, mental health issues, suicide and the threats to their culture and way of life. I admired Elsa and her passion for the reindeer. I would just say if you are planning on reading this book be aware there are some fairly graphic scenes describing cruelty to animals. 4.5 stars for me.

[Larnacouer de SH · Rating 2 out of 5]

Değindiği konu ve sunduğu perspektif nedeniyle etkileyici olacağını umduğum bir kitaptı ancak ne yalan söyleyeyim potansiyelinin çok çok altında bir metinle karşılaşmak bunca övgü dolu yorumdan sonra bana da sürpriz oldu.

İlginç bir hikaye ancak hikaye anlatıcılığı inanılmaz yüzeysel ve zayıf. Karakter derinliği neredeyse yok bu nedenle asla bağ kuramadığım atmosferinde barınmadığım muazzam bir hayalkırıklığı oldu benim için Çalınan.

Nedenini niçinini uzun uzadıya tartışacak bi’ enerjim kalmadı vallahi.
Emoç iyidir umarım, ben değilim.

[Axel Åhman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fenomenal. Nästan en femma för mig?
Sån insikt och kunskap hon delar med sig av i vackra personporträtt och en organisk story. Klimax är så snyggt konstruerat. Läs den!

[Synne Sylibris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread...ish😅, Nov 2024:

I read a shortened, Swedish version of the original book to prepare for a book club meeting. I read the full-length Swedish novel about 8 months ago – which I very much enjoyed; however, I don't like rereading books, so I just needed to refresh my memory a little for the book discussion (I was the one making the discussion questions, haha) 😁😅
This shortened version was a good way to get reminded of the details of the story, but other than that, I didn't get much out of it. Definitely read the full-length novel instead!


Original review, Feb 2024:

I had such a good time reading this book!
I would say it's contemporary fiction with elements of both thriller and crime novel, which made for an addictive read!

In some ways, this book reminded me of Beartown by Fredrik Backman: Swedish small town life, people commiting crime(s), and a slightly dark and tense atmosphere. The main difference is that this book is about the Sami community instead of hockey fanatics :)

I really liked the way the author portrayed this community. She showed us the beauty of the Sami culture, the struggles and dilemmas they have, and well, the less palatable sides (like conservative gender roles). And this was done with precision and nuance.

Despite liking the book a lot, I do think it has some flaws.

It clearly set up a fight between "good and evil", and I think this struggle could have been told with more nuance.
The same goes for the characters. Some of them were a little too good and righteous and others were just bad, evil, and sadistic, and not much else. In other words, I would have liked more complexity.

(Acko was the most interesting character, with her mix of Laestadianism and Sami spirituality. Her tender and conflicted relationship with Elsa was also wonderful!)

I also think the author overexplained things and overemphasised certain viewpoints a little too much; maybe because this is her first adult novel? (She has mostly published YA before this book.) In some ways, this overexplanation also works to her advantage, by making the book more accessible to a younger (and maybe broader) audience. But overall, she could have left more things open to interpretation.

Despite its shortcomings, I still found the book quite moving and thought-provoking. Well worth a read!