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The Secret of Snow
This lyrical runaway Swedish hit follows a reclusive, elderly couple who cross paths with a pair of twentysomething newcomers in a small mountain town, revealing an unexpected, shared history and the reclamation of a nearly extinct culture.
Meet Má eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone.
Meet a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated, something that will change his life for years to come.
A “brilliant debut” (Aftonbladet Söndag, Sweden) full of humor and heartbreak, The Secrets of Snow movingly grapples with grief, love, and the power of history.
Meet Má eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone.
Meet a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated, something that will change his life for years to come.
A “brilliant debut” (Aftonbladet Söndag, Sweden) full of humor and heartbreak, The Secrets of Snow movingly grapples with grief, love, and the power of history.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published February 3, 2026
41 people are currently reading
6632 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
February 19, 2026
This is an endearing story of an aging couple who are nearing their final years.
In the bitter cold of winter, we meet 85 year old Mariddja, who has just been diagnosed with cancer. Without telling her husband, she decides to prepare a care plan for him after she passes. They both reflect on their lives and the suffering from not being able to have children and losing their dear nephew to his mother decades ago.
Mariddja is a quirky & fiery character with a sarcastic sense of humour even while death lingers at her door.The community thinks she’s either an oracle or just plain crazy.
The story is a plethora of indigenous folklore. The Sami being the only indigenous group left in Europe. There is a mystery at the heart of this that plays out beautifully, albeit slowly. The translation superb.
4.25⭐️
In the bitter cold of winter, we meet 85 year old Mariddja, who has just been diagnosed with cancer. Without telling her husband, she decides to prepare a care plan for him after she passes. They both reflect on their lives and the suffering from not being able to have children and losing their dear nephew to his mother decades ago.
Mariddja is a quirky & fiery character with a sarcastic sense of humour even while death lingers at her door.The community thinks she’s either an oracle or just plain crazy.
The story is a plethora of indigenous folklore. The Sami being the only indigenous group left in Europe. There is a mystery at the heart of this that plays out beautifully, albeit slowly. The translation superb.
4.25⭐️
November 28, 2025
4+ stars
A novel in translation… a Swedish hit..
This was a tender and humorous story.
An elderly couple is faced with illness, she.. a cancer diagnosis (terminal) he.. dementia.
85 yr old Máriddja Rijá knows that she and her husband Biera will be separated if it’s found out about their conditions, both their health and living conditions, in their run down mountain home.
She keeps neighbors and everyone else from entering their home.
The only person she corresponds with is Siri, who she believes is a real person.. since after Biera got a new phone, they didn’t know how to use it but she mistakenly hit the button for Siri and talks to her daily.
The couple never had children in spite of trying, but did have Biera’s younger sister and her baby stay with them years ago and they ended up taking care of that baby boy for several years until the sister had to flee the area and took the boy with her due to a very abusive relationship by her son’s father.
The old couple has never gotten over the loss of the boy, but a surprise will be coming to them by the story’s end.
In this story you also learn about the Swedish indigenous group-the Sami’s, of which Biera descends from.
I loved this story!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the gifted copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A novel in translation… a Swedish hit..
This was a tender and humorous story.
An elderly couple is faced with illness, she.. a cancer diagnosis (terminal) he.. dementia.
85 yr old Máriddja Rijá knows that she and her husband Biera will be separated if it’s found out about their conditions, both their health and living conditions, in their run down mountain home.
She keeps neighbors and everyone else from entering their home.
The only person she corresponds with is Siri, who she believes is a real person.. since after Biera got a new phone, they didn’t know how to use it but she mistakenly hit the button for Siri and talks to her daily.
The couple never had children in spite of trying, but did have Biera’s younger sister and her baby stay with them years ago and they ended up taking care of that baby boy for several years until the sister had to flee the area and took the boy with her due to a very abusive relationship by her son’s father.
The old couple has never gotten over the loss of the boy, but a surprise will be coming to them by the story’s end.
In this story you also learn about the Swedish indigenous group-the Sami’s, of which Biera descends from.
I loved this story!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the gifted copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
February 15, 2026
If you're looking for something different, this would be it. A mystery wrapped inside a love story of a long married couple, with some tragedy to give it a poignancy, as if aging weren't tragedy enough. Mariddja's conversations with Siri on an IPhone she couldn't figure out how to use, along with her mispronounciations and misunderstandings of current terms had me chuckling every few pages or so. There was also a backstory of the displacement of the Sami people in Lapland. I believe this was a first novel, which makes it all the more impressive.
September 21, 2025
I won an advance reader's edition of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I started reading it yesterday and just finished it this morning. I absolutely adored this book. It is charming and funny and sweet and heartbreaking and beautiful. I am so grateful to the author and to the translator- reading this book was a gift and its characters and story will stay with me for a long time.
September 21, 2025
This one was enjoyable. Definitely some loveable characters. And I think the setting was one of my favorite parts. Recommend!
March 5, 2026
This book focusses on an elderly Swedish couple, the husband of which is of Sami heritage. His wife has received a devastating cancer diagnosis and has decided to refuse treatment as well as to keep her husband in the dark about her illness. She is living in terror about their future, worried that her cancer and his dementia will have them lose their independence and be separated in some city health care home.
Quite separately, a young couple move to the area and are learning to live in the far north. Kaj is a unspecified doctor and an unbelievable grump. It truly is a stretch to think that his bright-as-sunshine partner, Mimmi, would give him the time of day.
Much of the detail and atmosphere are revealed through the lens of the Sami Indigenous people, with descriptions of their art, myths, food, traditions and their connection to the land. I wanted very much to learn about this aspect of this novel but I found the regular use of Sami words, often with no translation or context, very difficult to understand. The audio version amplified this as the voice actor read these words in perfect Sami and I was unable to grasp even a single consonant. I imagine that, with the print copy, I would have been able to remember the sight/shape of these words as they came up and better understand. There may even be a helpful glossary.
I found the story lacked any action until the final chapter. I wanted something to happen but the two storylines were very slow to join and, even then, it seemed to be a humourous key-stone cops sort of ending.
A few years ago, we hiked the Kungsleden trail for 500 km in the north of Sweden and met a number of Sami people and reindeer herds/herders along the way. We visited a Sami summer camp where we were able to purchase fresh fish and still-warm flat bread to go with their delicious reindeer jerky. As our sole souvenir, we bought gorgeous birch drinking mugs that we still use for our nightly tea.
Even with this first-hand experience with these Indigenous people, I was unaware (though not surprised) that they had been relocated to make room for European settlers.
Quite separately, a young couple move to the area and are learning to live in the far north. Kaj is a unspecified doctor and an unbelievable grump. It truly is a stretch to think that his bright-as-sunshine partner, Mimmi, would give him the time of day.
Much of the detail and atmosphere are revealed through the lens of the Sami Indigenous people, with descriptions of their art, myths, food, traditions and their connection to the land. I wanted very much to learn about this aspect of this novel but I found the regular use of Sami words, often with no translation or context, very difficult to understand. The audio version amplified this as the voice actor read these words in perfect Sami and I was unable to grasp even a single consonant. I imagine that, with the print copy, I would have been able to remember the sight/shape of these words as they came up and better understand. There may even be a helpful glossary.
I found the story lacked any action until the final chapter. I wanted something to happen but the two storylines were very slow to join and, even then, it seemed to be a humourous key-stone cops sort of ending.
A few years ago, we hiked the Kungsleden trail for 500 km in the north of Sweden and met a number of Sami people and reindeer herds/herders along the way. We visited a Sami summer camp where we were able to purchase fresh fish and still-warm flat bread to go with their delicious reindeer jerky. As our sole souvenir, we bought gorgeous birch drinking mugs that we still use for our nightly tea.
Even with this first-hand experience with these Indigenous people, I was unaware (though not surprised) that they had been relocated to make room for European settlers.
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February 4, 2026Thank you so much @atriabooks @simon.audio for the gifted copy and audiobook!
The Secret of Snow
by Tina Harnesk
This lyrical runaway Swedish hit follows a reclusive, elderly couple who cross paths with a pair of twentysomething newcomers in a small mountain town, revealing an unexpected, shared history and the reclamation of a nearly extinct culture.
Meet Máriddja: eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone.
Meet Kaj: a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated, something that will change his life for years to come.
✨ my thoughts:
I fear I must have attempted to read and listen to a different book than everyone else. I struggled bad with this one. I started it in December then restarted in January and then decided to try the audiobook in February and unfortunately it was just not for me. I am so happy that so many others LOVED this because I’m sure it deserves all the love. I’m the problem here so if you have this one your TBR you should definitely give it a try.
Happy reading 📖
The Secret of Snow
by Tina Harnesk
This lyrical runaway Swedish hit follows a reclusive, elderly couple who cross paths with a pair of twentysomething newcomers in a small mountain town, revealing an unexpected, shared history and the reclamation of a nearly extinct culture.
Meet Máriddja: eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone.
Meet Kaj: a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated, something that will change his life for years to come.
✨ my thoughts:
I fear I must have attempted to read and listen to a different book than everyone else. I struggled bad with this one. I started it in December then restarted in January and then decided to try the audiobook in February and unfortunately it was just not for me. I am so happy that so many others LOVED this because I’m sure it deserves all the love. I’m the problem here so if you have this one your TBR you should definitely give it a try.
Happy reading 📖
November 24, 2025
What a lovely translation! One of my favorite parts of this book was the turns of phrase and imagery, which I feel easily could get lost in translation.
We know I love a character of a certain age, but I also love a multigenerational relationship. Those are important in my real life and so I quite enjoyed this cast of characters.
So multigenerational relationships, which means characters of a certain age, plus mystery and intrigue plus a naturally woven in history lesson…yes please
A top read of the year for sure
We know I love a character of a certain age, but I also love a multigenerational relationship. Those are important in my real life and so I quite enjoyed this cast of characters.
So multigenerational relationships, which means characters of a certain age, plus mystery and intrigue plus a naturally woven in history lesson…yes please
A top read of the year for sure
January 31, 2026
Very grateful to have won this in a goodreads giveaway. I really enjoyed the story, reminded me of a Frederic Backman novel and I loved the author’s Sami culture woven into the piece. Was great to ready while staying in the snowy upper peninsula for a few days.
October 15, 2025
From the moment we ‘meet’ Mariddja, (Ma) we are enveloped in
a heartwarming, loving, heartbreaking adventure, entwined
with the fascinating cultures and relationships of the Sami
people.
It took a couple of chapters to feel a rhythm, and then I
could not get enough~I was captivated and wanted to
know more.
This really does t read like a ‘debut’ novel with the
details, the brilliance and the complexities.
I absolutely recommend this to everyone ~ your
genre makes no difference!
My thanks to Atria and the Publisher for the copy
of this book for review purposes.
a heartwarming, loving, heartbreaking adventure, entwined
with the fascinating cultures and relationships of the Sami
people.
It took a couple of chapters to feel a rhythm, and then I
could not get enough~I was captivated and wanted to
know more.
This really does t read like a ‘debut’ novel with the
details, the brilliance and the complexities.
I absolutely recommend this to everyone ~ your
genre makes no difference!
My thanks to Atria and the Publisher for the copy
of this book for review purposes.
October 9, 2025
I received an ARC copy it took me a little while to get around to reading it but once i started i jus kept going. i finished it in a day. it kept me interested in where the story was gonna take me an im grateful for the opportunity to get this copy a sweet feel good read really enjoyed this book! HAPPY READING!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Real Rating: 3.75* of five
The Publisher Says: This lyrical runaway Swedish hit follows a reclusive, elderly couple who cross paths with a pair of twentysomething newcomers in a small mountain town, revealing an unexpected, shared history and the reclamation of a nearly extinct culture.
Meet Máriddja: eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone.
Meet Kaj: a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated, something that will change his life for years to come.
A “brilliant debut” (Aftonbladet Söndag, Sweden) full of humor and heartbreak, The Secrets of Snow movingly grapples with grief, love, and the power of history.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: As with most bestsellers, this story is pitched right down the middle. Take one old (straight, natch) couple facing end of life issues of varying but intense urgency. Add one young (straight, natch) couple facing relationship teething pains and life traumas. Connect them by geography in a place small enough to breed affinity through enforced proximity. Add a glaze of native cultural issues. Give the old woman an iPhone and have her repurpose Siri as a confidant for comic relief. Serve.
It's fine if this is dessert after a hearty substantial meal. This is presented as the meal. If these were the concluding chapters of a much longer book that dug into Kaj's relationship with his mother and dialed down the awkward obvious coincidence that's telegraphed early and often, and the roots of Mári's anguished love for Biera (though who wouldn't be mad for someone who thinks his wife "was generous with everything, including her dignity" when everyone else thinks she's a madwoman!), I'd be wadding up the Kleenex with the rest of y'all.
It's a debut novel, and as I've said many times I grade on a curve for debut novelists, or I'd be a lot less tactful in expressing my dissatisfaction. I now turn your attention to the marvelous, evocative writing. Particularly effective, probably even moreso in Swedish, is the evocation of Sámi culture...the indigenous folk of the Arctic are about as well-presented in Sweden as First Nations people are in Canada, and only Black people are presented worse than Native Americans in the US. Author Harnesk does not stint on her vocabulary. Menzies, our translator, has worked hard and successfully to render the tone of the original. I don't speak Swedish, but there's a feel, an aura around a really well-made work of prose that comes through in the very best translations. It came through here.
While understanding why this became a bestseller does not add to my desire to praise it, I predict all y'all would love the read if you gave it a try. The Fredrik Backman bus, the Shelby van Pelt posse, the Sally Hepworth squad, should bypass the library hold list and put your credit cards on the line. This book is aimed right at you. Any reader wanting a lingering look at love, grief, and a lifetime of being true to your lights finally being rewarded should get it from the library. Request it if you don't see it in the catalog.
It's built to make you feel the warm glow of goodness.
The Publisher Says: This lyrical runaway Swedish hit follows a reclusive, elderly couple who cross paths with a pair of twentysomething newcomers in a small mountain town, revealing an unexpected, shared history and the reclamation of a nearly extinct culture.
Meet Máriddja: eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone.
Meet Kaj: a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated, something that will change his life for years to come.
A “brilliant debut” (Aftonbladet Söndag, Sweden) full of humor and heartbreak, The Secrets of Snow movingly grapples with grief, love, and the power of history.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: As with most bestsellers, this story is pitched right down the middle. Take one old (straight, natch) couple facing end of life issues of varying but intense urgency. Add one young (straight, natch) couple facing relationship teething pains and life traumas. Connect them by geography in a place small enough to breed affinity through enforced proximity. Add a glaze of native cultural issues. Give the old woman an iPhone and have her repurpose Siri as a confidant for comic relief. Serve.
It's fine if this is dessert after a hearty substantial meal. This is presented as the meal. If these were the concluding chapters of a much longer book that dug into Kaj's relationship with his mother and dialed down the awkward obvious coincidence that's telegraphed early and often, and the roots of Mári's anguished love for Biera (though who wouldn't be mad for someone who thinks his wife "was generous with everything, including her dignity" when everyone else thinks she's a madwoman!), I'd be wadding up the Kleenex with the rest of y'all.
It's a debut novel, and as I've said many times I grade on a curve for debut novelists, or I'd be a lot less tactful in expressing my dissatisfaction. I now turn your attention to the marvelous, evocative writing. Particularly effective, probably even moreso in Swedish, is the evocation of Sámi culture...the indigenous folk of the Arctic are about as well-presented in Sweden as First Nations people are in Canada, and only Black people are presented worse than Native Americans in the US. Author Harnesk does not stint on her vocabulary. Menzies, our translator, has worked hard and successfully to render the tone of the original. I don't speak Swedish, but there's a feel, an aura around a really well-made work of prose that comes through in the very best translations. It came through here.
While understanding why this became a bestseller does not add to my desire to praise it, I predict all y'all would love the read if you gave it a try. The Fredrik Backman bus, the Shelby van Pelt posse, the Sally Hepworth squad, should bypass the library hold list and put your credit cards on the line. This book is aimed right at you. Any reader wanting a lingering look at love, grief, and a lifetime of being true to your lights finally being rewarded should get it from the library. Request it if you don't see it in the catalog.
It's built to make you feel the warm glow of goodness.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Oh my!! This one gets ALL the stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A huge shout out to my GR friend Shelley, at Shelley's Book Nook as it was her wonderful review that had me putting this on my shelf! Please check out her wonderful review!
85 year old Mariddja has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She is determined not to let her husband, Biera know about this diagnosis because she fears that the two will be separated if their living conditions- health and home- are discovered. No one is allowed to enter into their home.
Beira and Mariddja carry sorrow with them. They were never able to have children. Beira had a much younger sister, Risten. Biera was more like a father to her. He and Mariddja helped to raise her baby son, even when she goes away to be with the father. However, choosing to be with the father becomes a dangerous thing, and Risten returns taking the baby. Biera and Mariddja never see them again. But along with this sorrow is a strong love that binds the two together.
Raj, a doctor, has recently lost his mother, Laura. They had a relationship that was a bit distant, yet he loved her and knew that she loved him. He feels that he somehow broke her, but his questions are never answered. He carries this weight in his heart. He has just become engaged to Mimmi, a lovely character! Raj and Mimmi have moved into their new home and begin to meet the neighbors- Miscal and his grandson Johanas, Noomi and Palle.
One day, Raj and Mimmi place an announcement about their engagement in the local paper. And here is where all the players start to come together!
It seems like a lot! However, each story is told clearly, and the reader begins to see connections. It is a beautiful, complex bittersweet tapestry about love, loss, hope, culture, and fighting for those we call family. This novel has it all. The characters are so real. I especially loved Mariddja! She is feisty, independent, passionate, mischievous. She is often described as crazy- but Beira's description really captures her essence:
"His wife was generous with everything, including her dignity."
There is a lot of humor in the story. The humor really highlights the humanity in each of the characters. Maridjja loves goats, and the many stories (from both her past and present) detailing her endless searches to obtain a goat had me laughing out loud, especially when it came to a reference to "PayPal"! Mariddja keeps a lot to herself, and one day strikes up a friendship with Siri, yes THAT Siri! I found it so touching the conversations she had with the phone, and her perceptions of "Siri, the woman"!
I really liked how the Sami culture and history was an important element of this story. I learned so much from the author's note at the end and highly recommend reading that too!
There are such tender, intimate moments in this story that are written so beautifully. The author shows every character's strength and weakness in a way that brings the humanity of this book to the forefront. I cannot do this book justice with a review! It is something that simply must be experienced!
I highly recommend this book to everyone! I already know this is one of my top reads for 2026! I will come back to it again and again. And I am excited to read her other stories!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books. This is my honest and voluntary review.
A huge shout out to my GR friend Shelley, at Shelley's Book Nook as it was her wonderful review that had me putting this on my shelf! Please check out her wonderful review!
85 year old Mariddja has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She is determined not to let her husband, Biera know about this diagnosis because she fears that the two will be separated if their living conditions- health and home- are discovered. No one is allowed to enter into their home.
Beira and Mariddja carry sorrow with them. They were never able to have children. Beira had a much younger sister, Risten. Biera was more like a father to her. He and Mariddja helped to raise her baby son, even when she goes away to be with the father. However, choosing to be with the father becomes a dangerous thing, and Risten returns taking the baby. Biera and Mariddja never see them again. But along with this sorrow is a strong love that binds the two together.
Raj, a doctor, has recently lost his mother, Laura. They had a relationship that was a bit distant, yet he loved her and knew that she loved him. He feels that he somehow broke her, but his questions are never answered. He carries this weight in his heart. He has just become engaged to Mimmi, a lovely character! Raj and Mimmi have moved into their new home and begin to meet the neighbors- Miscal and his grandson Johanas, Noomi and Palle.
One day, Raj and Mimmi place an announcement about their engagement in the local paper. And here is where all the players start to come together!
It seems like a lot! However, each story is told clearly, and the reader begins to see connections. It is a beautiful, complex bittersweet tapestry about love, loss, hope, culture, and fighting for those we call family. This novel has it all. The characters are so real. I especially loved Mariddja! She is feisty, independent, passionate, mischievous. She is often described as crazy- but Beira's description really captures her essence:
"His wife was generous with everything, including her dignity."
There is a lot of humor in the story. The humor really highlights the humanity in each of the characters. Maridjja loves goats, and the many stories (from both her past and present) detailing her endless searches to obtain a goat had me laughing out loud, especially when it came to a reference to "PayPal"! Mariddja keeps a lot to herself, and one day strikes up a friendship with Siri, yes THAT Siri! I found it so touching the conversations she had with the phone, and her perceptions of "Siri, the woman"!
I really liked how the Sami culture and history was an important element of this story. I learned so much from the author's note at the end and highly recommend reading that too!
There are such tender, intimate moments in this story that are written so beautifully. The author shows every character's strength and weakness in a way that brings the humanity of this book to the forefront. I cannot do this book justice with a review! It is something that simply must be experienced!
I highly recommend this book to everyone! I already know this is one of my top reads for 2026! I will come back to it again and again. And I am excited to read her other stories!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books. This is my honest and voluntary review.
February 11, 2026
Tina Harnesk’s The Secret of Snow will pull at your heartstrings but also make you laugh with its story of Biera and Máriddja Rijá, a childless, octogenarian, Swedish Sámi couple. The book opens with a prologue, set decades before the main narrative, in which Biera retells a favorite Sámi folktale to a small boy as Máriddja’s eavesdrops from the next room. Still suffering the loss decades later of little Heaika-Joná, their nephew largely raised by the couple as their own from birth to five, they cannot understand how his mother Risten, Biera’s much younger baby sister, could have suddenly returned from life with the boy’s father only to snatch the child away, telling her devastated brother and sister-in-law that they will never see Heaika-Joná again.
Heartbroken, Biera and Máriddja have passed the years in near isolation, self-secluded in their rural cottage with little outside contact other than Nuffe, the local postman, who shops for their groceries and other necessities.
Now life is going from bad to worse. Eighty-five-year-old Máriddja is diagnosed with advanced cancer and determines never to tell Biera, who is suffering from early dementia. As she leaves the physician to return to her beloved husband, she tosses her phone in the trash to prevent the doctor’s office from further contact.
Alternating with Biera and Máriddja’s story is that of Kaj and girlfriend/soon-to-be fiancé Mimmi, both doctors who have just bought a home in Guovddo, the nearby village, to work at the local clinic. Soon befriending a local couple they both like, Mimmi also befriends an eight-year-old boy, whom Kaj considers a brat and resents having around. All will gradually play roles in the larger story.
The overall plot unfolds as readers get to know each of the characters and life moves forward for most although backward in Biera’s case. While much or the story is rather sad, it is touching more than depressing, and it is punctuated by many laughable mixed-up clichés on Máriddja’s part as well as her recurrent conversations with what she thinks is the operator on the couple’s first smartphone, purchased by Biera after Máriddja lied about losing the old mobile phone. Imagine trying to carry on a conversation with Siri, especially if something you said might result in the police appearing at your doorstep.
Harnesk’s clever chapter titles aroused my curiosity, becoming almost reason enough to turn pages even if the characters and plot weren’t so captivating. How can anyone resist finding out what lies within chapters titled “Biera’s Missing Knife and Máriddja’s Missing Marbles,” “Through a Sugar Cube,” “Defenders of Almond Cookies and the Realm,” or “The Old Soul Under the Rug”?
Along with the sadness and laughter comes learning, for The Secret of Snow will certainly increase most readers’ knowledge of Sámi culture and history, and readers should not miss Harnesk’s detailed Author’s Note at the back.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance reader egalley of this memorable new novel. I cannot recommend it enough.
Heartbroken, Biera and Máriddja have passed the years in near isolation, self-secluded in their rural cottage with little outside contact other than Nuffe, the local postman, who shops for their groceries and other necessities.
Now life is going from bad to worse. Eighty-five-year-old Máriddja is diagnosed with advanced cancer and determines never to tell Biera, who is suffering from early dementia. As she leaves the physician to return to her beloved husband, she tosses her phone in the trash to prevent the doctor’s office from further contact.
Alternating with Biera and Máriddja’s story is that of Kaj and girlfriend/soon-to-be fiancé Mimmi, both doctors who have just bought a home in Guovddo, the nearby village, to work at the local clinic. Soon befriending a local couple they both like, Mimmi also befriends an eight-year-old boy, whom Kaj considers a brat and resents having around. All will gradually play roles in the larger story.
The overall plot unfolds as readers get to know each of the characters and life moves forward for most although backward in Biera’s case. While much or the story is rather sad, it is touching more than depressing, and it is punctuated by many laughable mixed-up clichés on Máriddja’s part as well as her recurrent conversations with what she thinks is the operator on the couple’s first smartphone, purchased by Biera after Máriddja lied about losing the old mobile phone. Imagine trying to carry on a conversation with Siri, especially if something you said might result in the police appearing at your doorstep.
Harnesk’s clever chapter titles aroused my curiosity, becoming almost reason enough to turn pages even if the characters and plot weren’t so captivating. How can anyone resist finding out what lies within chapters titled “Biera’s Missing Knife and Máriddja’s Missing Marbles,” “Through a Sugar Cube,” “Defenders of Almond Cookies and the Realm,” or “The Old Soul Under the Rug”?
Along with the sadness and laughter comes learning, for The Secret of Snow will certainly increase most readers’ knowledge of Sámi culture and history, and readers should not miss Harnesk’s detailed Author’s Note at the back.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance reader egalley of this memorable new novel. I cannot recommend it enough.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An absolute treasure of a story, The Secret of the Snow, was a surprise to me as whatever I was expecting from this debut it wasn't to snicker to myself from the humorous antics of the characters while feeling emotional in turns. This Swedish hit held my attention with its heart, poignancy, and charm. Caring for these characters was instantaneous. The history and plight of the Sami, Scandinavia's indigenous people were woven into the storytelling with seamless precision.
☕🍪🍪🍪🍪☕
In a tiny Swedish mountain town live elderly couple Mariddja and Biera. She's hiding a recent terminal diagnosis and worrying about Biera's future without her. Biera has dementia. Neither are able to keep the house up, but they are doing the best they can under the circumstances. They have no children and years ago their family suffered a painful split with Biera's troubled younger sister and the son she left with the couple to raise. So, there is no trusted outside support to work on their behalf. She fears that the pair will be separated if placed in a care home so, they avoid most outside contact. Biera buys a new phone, and neither are sure how to work it, but Mariddja begins to hold conversations with Siri believing she's a real person. This quirky relationship made me laugh at times and feel sad much like the entire novel. The other storyline follows Dr. Kaj who recently moved to town with his wife. When he happens upon a box of indigenous crafts in his deceased mother's belongings, he realizes maybe the new town he just moved to isn't as new to him as he thought.
⛰️🎶🎶🎶🎶⛰️
Cheers 🎉 to Alice Menzies who translated this novel to English. Reading this felt easy and natural which isn't always the case with translated works. Her work was phenomenal.
🧊🛷🛷🛷🛷🧊
Although there is much sadness these pages were suffused with warmth. There were scenes that sparked with life bringing a smile to my face. The way the novel took on the theme of identity kept me engaged. The story does touch on a few heavy topics, but it maintains its heartfelt voice.
❄️🦌🦌🦌🦌❄️
Different types of bonds between people are analyzed making this fascinating on a psychological level as well. Kaj's reactions to the neighbor boy were quite telling for example. It felt as though recognizing pieces of himself when he was younger stirred up his emotions beneath the surface. The author brought so much to this story I double checked that it was a debut work.
👨🏻⚕️🩺🩺🩺🩺👨🏻⚕️
Looking forward to Harnesk's future works and hoping they too will be translated.
4.25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Thank you to Atria Books for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
☕🍪🍪🍪🍪☕
In a tiny Swedish mountain town live elderly couple Mariddja and Biera. She's hiding a recent terminal diagnosis and worrying about Biera's future without her. Biera has dementia. Neither are able to keep the house up, but they are doing the best they can under the circumstances. They have no children and years ago their family suffered a painful split with Biera's troubled younger sister and the son she left with the couple to raise. So, there is no trusted outside support to work on their behalf. She fears that the pair will be separated if placed in a care home so, they avoid most outside contact. Biera buys a new phone, and neither are sure how to work it, but Mariddja begins to hold conversations with Siri believing she's a real person. This quirky relationship made me laugh at times and feel sad much like the entire novel. The other storyline follows Dr. Kaj who recently moved to town with his wife. When he happens upon a box of indigenous crafts in his deceased mother's belongings, he realizes maybe the new town he just moved to isn't as new to him as he thought.
⛰️🎶🎶🎶🎶⛰️
Cheers 🎉 to Alice Menzies who translated this novel to English. Reading this felt easy and natural which isn't always the case with translated works. Her work was phenomenal.
🧊🛷🛷🛷🛷🧊
Although there is much sadness these pages were suffused with warmth. There were scenes that sparked with life bringing a smile to my face. The way the novel took on the theme of identity kept me engaged. The story does touch on a few heavy topics, but it maintains its heartfelt voice.
❄️🦌🦌🦌🦌❄️
Different types of bonds between people are analyzed making this fascinating on a psychological level as well. Kaj's reactions to the neighbor boy were quite telling for example. It felt as though recognizing pieces of himself when he was younger stirred up his emotions beneath the surface. The author brought so much to this story I double checked that it was a debut work.
👨🏻⚕️🩺🩺🩺🩺👨🏻⚕️
Looking forward to Harnesk's future works and hoping they too will be translated.
4.25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Thank you to Atria Books for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
PUBLISH DATE: February 3, 2026
The “secret of snow” is the reminder that even when life feels buried or silent, love and memory continue to exist, waiting to be seen.
The Secret of Snow is a beautifully written and thoughtful piece of literature. Tina Harnesk does an excellent job weaving together two very different relationships: the new, still forming bond between Kaj and Mimmi, and the long established relationship of Biera and Mari. One represents beginnings, self discovery, and finding where you fit in the world. The other shows what it means to share a lifetime with someone; years of love, hardship, loss, and a deep, wordless understanding that only comes from truly knowing another person.
The contrast between these relationships is one of the book’s greatest strengths. You see love at its earliest stages alongside love that has been tested by time, sorrow, and sickness and both feel equally authentic. The connection between Biera and Mari, in particular, is written with such tenderness that you feel how deeply they know one another, knowing when something is wrong before it’s ever spoken aloud.
This is a slower paced novel, but that pacing seems intentional. The author takes time to build the characters stories, allowing the you to understand who they are and how their past experiences shaped them.
There were several moments that brought me to tears because the emotions felt so real and honest. The way this story unfolds is deliberate and thoughtful, with a clear sense of purpose behind each scene. At its heart, this is a story about love and loss, and how people carry both throughout their lives.
Although this is a work of fiction, it is deeply rooted in real Sámi culture and reflects genuine experiences and struggles, which adds to its authenticity and emotional weight.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. It took me through a full range of emotions, from tears during the moments involving Kaj and his mother, to genuine laughter at Mari’s spunk and her unexpected “friendship” with Sire. Those emotional contrasts are what made the story feel so alive.
Content notes: very minimal profanity; no sexual content or nudity.
BOOK TITLE: The Secret of the Snow
AUTHOR: Tina Harnesk
PUBLISHER: Atria Books
FORMAT: e-book
PAGES: 304
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Reader copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to Atria Books Publishing and the author, for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The “secret of snow” is the reminder that even when life feels buried or silent, love and memory continue to exist, waiting to be seen.
The Secret of Snow is a beautifully written and thoughtful piece of literature. Tina Harnesk does an excellent job weaving together two very different relationships: the new, still forming bond between Kaj and Mimmi, and the long established relationship of Biera and Mari. One represents beginnings, self discovery, and finding where you fit in the world. The other shows what it means to share a lifetime with someone; years of love, hardship, loss, and a deep, wordless understanding that only comes from truly knowing another person.
The contrast between these relationships is one of the book’s greatest strengths. You see love at its earliest stages alongside love that has been tested by time, sorrow, and sickness and both feel equally authentic. The connection between Biera and Mari, in particular, is written with such tenderness that you feel how deeply they know one another, knowing when something is wrong before it’s ever spoken aloud.
This is a slower paced novel, but that pacing seems intentional. The author takes time to build the characters stories, allowing the you to understand who they are and how their past experiences shaped them.
There were several moments that brought me to tears because the emotions felt so real and honest. The way this story unfolds is deliberate and thoughtful, with a clear sense of purpose behind each scene. At its heart, this is a story about love and loss, and how people carry both throughout their lives.
Although this is a work of fiction, it is deeply rooted in real Sámi culture and reflects genuine experiences and struggles, which adds to its authenticity and emotional weight.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. It took me through a full range of emotions, from tears during the moments involving Kaj and his mother, to genuine laughter at Mari’s spunk and her unexpected “friendship” with Sire. Those emotional contrasts are what made the story feel so alive.
Content notes: very minimal profanity; no sexual content or nudity.
BOOK TITLE: The Secret of the Snow
AUTHOR: Tina Harnesk
PUBLISHER: Atria Books
FORMAT: e-book
PAGES: 304
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Reader copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to Atria Books Publishing and the author, for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk is a novel featuring an eccentric 85-year-old woman. Yes, please. Let me read that. That's what I thought when I first read the synopsis and picked it up, knowing it would be both humorous and touching.
Má is an eccentric 85-year-old Sámi woman who is diagnosed with cancer. Kaj is a doctor newly arrived to town with his fiancée Mimmi. Their separate threads crisscross to weave a lovely tale when they finally join. Má keeps her diagnosis from her husband and desperately seeks someone to take care of him when she passes. Kaj keeps busy adjusting to his new home, while trying to reconcile with his mother's death and prior elusiveness about discussing Kaj's origins. When unpacking the items his mother passed down to him, he comes across original Sámi handicrafts and has more lingering questions than answers.
Má and Kaj remind me of people I've known. They're complex and relatable, and I was invested in their stories. I adored Má's eccentricity, especially the friendship she strikes up with Siri. You read that right; Siri, as in the iPhone Siri. Although she's faced with growing worries, she made me laugh almost every time I read a chapter she narrated. I also loved learning more about Sámi culture through her chapters. Kaj developed a friendship-rivalry with a neighbor boy that also tugged on my heartstrings.
Harnesk's writing is intimate and quietly poetic, with a gentle rhythm. She uses controlled emotion to infuse the story with an introspective tenderness. The themes of grief, devotion, identity, and cultural survival are delicately folded in, but never pushed in the reader's face. This makes them land harder. She also shows the intergenerational connection that is so important to the Sámi and their resilience, especially through Má's use of humor to cope.
The Secret of Snow is a gorgeous, heartfelt debut that touches upon important themes. It's ideal for readers who love an eccentric protagonist, so fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, A Man Called Ove, and Fight Night will eat this up. I also highly recommend this to people who enjoy learning about different cultures.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓— Warm, heartbreaking, and impossible not to love.
I read a digital copy made available by Atria Books through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
Má is an eccentric 85-year-old Sámi woman who is diagnosed with cancer. Kaj is a doctor newly arrived to town with his fiancée Mimmi. Their separate threads crisscross to weave a lovely tale when they finally join. Má keeps her diagnosis from her husband and desperately seeks someone to take care of him when she passes. Kaj keeps busy adjusting to his new home, while trying to reconcile with his mother's death and prior elusiveness about discussing Kaj's origins. When unpacking the items his mother passed down to him, he comes across original Sámi handicrafts and has more lingering questions than answers.
Má and Kaj remind me of people I've known. They're complex and relatable, and I was invested in their stories. I adored Má's eccentricity, especially the friendship she strikes up with Siri. You read that right; Siri, as in the iPhone Siri. Although she's faced with growing worries, she made me laugh almost every time I read a chapter she narrated. I also loved learning more about Sámi culture through her chapters. Kaj developed a friendship-rivalry with a neighbor boy that also tugged on my heartstrings.
Harnesk's writing is intimate and quietly poetic, with a gentle rhythm. She uses controlled emotion to infuse the story with an introspective tenderness. The themes of grief, devotion, identity, and cultural survival are delicately folded in, but never pushed in the reader's face. This makes them land harder. She also shows the intergenerational connection that is so important to the Sámi and their resilience, especially through Má's use of humor to cope.
The Secret of Snow is a gorgeous, heartfelt debut that touches upon important themes. It's ideal for readers who love an eccentric protagonist, so fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, A Man Called Ove, and Fight Night will eat this up. I also highly recommend this to people who enjoy learning about different cultures.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓— Warm, heartbreaking, and impossible not to love.
I read a digital copy made available by Atria Books through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
October 20, 2025
The Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk did one positive thing for me – introduce me to the Sami, the indigenous people of Nordic Europe. I had never heard of the Sami before.
The author did a good job depicting an elderly couple trying to stay in their home and independent as one slips into dementia and the other suffers from cancer. I liked the Swedish setting. The final chapters were beautiful and heartfelt. It was a bit of a road getting there. The set up for the story of two families with a shared history took a long time and I was very confused about what was happening and why the characters were doing things they were doing.
The elderly character of Mariddja accidentally stumbles on Siri on her phone and believes that Siri is a telephone operator. Her conversations (for lack of a better word) often didn’t seem realistic, and I felt this device was overused by the author. She used it to give the reader information but for me it triggered discomfort rather than amusement.
Some books translate well, and some do not. The Secret of Snow read very much like a book in translation. There were a lot of words I did not understand, and things that seemed phrased oddly to me as an English speaker. The character names were especially problematic for me, and this was made worse because some of the characters have multiple names, nicknames, etc. (And people who were not Sami kept calling Sami characters the wrong names.) I also had trouble making sense of the story as it was revealed and the timeline and ages of the characters. I’m not sure the math worked.
I feel this is one book that is difficult to review in translation. The story is solid, but I found the book frustrating to read. I appreciate the insights into the Sami, and the author is definitely one to watch.
I read an advance reader copy of The Secret of Snow from Netgalley.
The author did a good job depicting an elderly couple trying to stay in their home and independent as one slips into dementia and the other suffers from cancer. I liked the Swedish setting. The final chapters were beautiful and heartfelt. It was a bit of a road getting there. The set up for the story of two families with a shared history took a long time and I was very confused about what was happening and why the characters were doing things they were doing.
The elderly character of Mariddja accidentally stumbles on Siri on her phone and believes that Siri is a telephone operator. Her conversations (for lack of a better word) often didn’t seem realistic, and I felt this device was overused by the author. She used it to give the reader information but for me it triggered discomfort rather than amusement.
Some books translate well, and some do not. The Secret of Snow read very much like a book in translation. There were a lot of words I did not understand, and things that seemed phrased oddly to me as an English speaker. The character names were especially problematic for me, and this was made worse because some of the characters have multiple names, nicknames, etc. (And people who were not Sami kept calling Sami characters the wrong names.) I also had trouble making sense of the story as it was revealed and the timeline and ages of the characters. I’m not sure the math worked.
I feel this is one book that is difficult to review in translation. The story is solid, but I found the book frustrating to read. I appreciate the insights into the Sami, and the author is definitely one to watch.
I read an advance reader copy of The Secret of Snow from Netgalley.
February 18, 2026
4.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This is a tender story about grief, love, and the ways people hold on to one another when life has taken more than it gives.
At the center of the book are Beira and Mariddja, a married couple bound by years of shared loss. They were never able to have children of their own. When Beira’s much younger sister, Risten, goes away, Beira and Mariddja help raise her baby son. When Risten returns to take him back, they lose both mother and child from their lives. The grief that follows stays with them, but so does their deep love for one another.
Mariddja is eighty five and has been diagnosed with cancer. She keeps the truth from Beira, believing she must protect him from what’s coming. Instead, she focuses on his future, worrying about who will care for him when she is gone. That unspoken fear shapes so much of the story and makes their time together feel fragile and precious.
The Sámi people are at the heart of this novel. Set in northern Sweden, the story centers on the Sámi, the Indigenous people of the region, whose ancestral lands span northern Scandinavia. Their history of forced assimilation, lost language, and cultural erasure is woven into the narrative. This book feels like an act of remembering, honoring family ties, land, and traditions that were nearly taken away, and showing how deeply identity is tied to belonging.
One quote captures the soul of the book:
“Deep down, even though she loved him, I think she probably missed something else. I don’t think a person ever stops longing for the place where they belong. No matter who we become or where we end up, our hearts have a root.”
This book will get you straight in the heart. It’s about love that endures, grief that reshapes a life, and the hope found in remembering who you are and where you come from.
This is a tender story about grief, love, and the ways people hold on to one another when life has taken more than it gives.
At the center of the book are Beira and Mariddja, a married couple bound by years of shared loss. They were never able to have children of their own. When Beira’s much younger sister, Risten, goes away, Beira and Mariddja help raise her baby son. When Risten returns to take him back, they lose both mother and child from their lives. The grief that follows stays with them, but so does their deep love for one another.
Mariddja is eighty five and has been diagnosed with cancer. She keeps the truth from Beira, believing she must protect him from what’s coming. Instead, she focuses on his future, worrying about who will care for him when she is gone. That unspoken fear shapes so much of the story and makes their time together feel fragile and precious.
The Sámi people are at the heart of this novel. Set in northern Sweden, the story centers on the Sámi, the Indigenous people of the region, whose ancestral lands span northern Scandinavia. Their history of forced assimilation, lost language, and cultural erasure is woven into the narrative. This book feels like an act of remembering, honoring family ties, land, and traditions that were nearly taken away, and showing how deeply identity is tied to belonging.
One quote captures the soul of the book:
“Deep down, even though she loved him, I think she probably missed something else. I don’t think a person ever stops longing for the place where they belong. No matter who we become or where we end up, our hearts have a root.”
This book will get you straight in the heart. It’s about love that endures, grief that reshapes a life, and the hope found in remembering who you are and where you come from.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Touching, poignant, but with comic relief🏞
There were a number of good elements to this novel largely focused on an elderly Sami couple living with illness and a deeply troubling loss. Their situation is sad but well described; they live isolated from society in a deteriorating cottage with his memory fading and her body failing. Mariddja, the wife, worries they will be separated by social services or her husband will be unable to cope when she passes. So she develops a plan to find their long lost nephew after an unexpected notice in the paper convinces her he is living nearby. She could be called eccentric but she struck me more as laser-focused on her objective. Clues and flashbacks fill in the events that led to the family suddenly splintering when the nephew was a toddler and how he ended up returning to the area.
The comic relief comes in Mariddja's distrust of modern technology until her husband gets a smart phone and Mariddja adopts Siri as her confidante and friend, not understanding that Siri is not a real person. There's also a chapter about a bachelor neighbor revealing a "big secret" that devastates his mother that is amusing but seemed just thrown in and not well integrated into the rest of the plot.
The heart of the story, the failing health of the couple and the hope of reconnection with lost family, dominated the plot. I felt it took a bit too long to get to the climax of the search. But the descriptions of Sami life and dislocation added a good, informative element; it was easy to sympathize with the main characters, including Kaj's mother; and the ending was a more hopeful one than I anticipated.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
There were a number of good elements to this novel largely focused on an elderly Sami couple living with illness and a deeply troubling loss. Their situation is sad but well described; they live isolated from society in a deteriorating cottage with his memory fading and her body failing. Mariddja, the wife, worries they will be separated by social services or her husband will be unable to cope when she passes. So she develops a plan to find their long lost nephew after an unexpected notice in the paper convinces her he is living nearby. She could be called eccentric but she struck me more as laser-focused on her objective. Clues and flashbacks fill in the events that led to the family suddenly splintering when the nephew was a toddler and how he ended up returning to the area.
The comic relief comes in Mariddja's distrust of modern technology until her husband gets a smart phone and Mariddja adopts Siri as her confidante and friend, not understanding that Siri is not a real person. There's also a chapter about a bachelor neighbor revealing a "big secret" that devastates his mother that is amusing but seemed just thrown in and not well integrated into the rest of the plot.
The heart of the story, the failing health of the couple and the hope of reconnection with lost family, dominated the plot. I felt it took a bit too long to get to the climax of the search. But the descriptions of Sami life and dislocation added a good, informative element; it was easy to sympathize with the main characters, including Kaj's mother; and the ending was a more hopeful one than I anticipated.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
February 2, 2026
A heartbreaking yet lovely lyrical novel of grief, love and the importance of history. This book does deal with cancer and domestic violence so please know this beforehand.
This book led me down a path of discovering the indigenous people by the name of Sámi and how they faced relocation along with the other atrocities faced when it comes to oppression. I appreciated the emphasis on it as it made me want to get more knowledge on something I’ve never heard of.
This book was heartbreaking as it focuses on Mariddja and her recent cancer diagnosis. She’s only been given a short time to live and she wants to reunite with a child from the past. That child is her nephew that stayed with them when his mom was in a hard point in time. It’s been decades and she does the most drastic things to hopefully find him. It made me sad because she’s suffering quietly as her husband has dementia. A cute but heartbreaking moment is when Mariddja discovers Siri and uses that as a way to “talk” to someone. 😭 It reminded me of my grandma a bit and I don’t know, it made me really sad. It all leads to seeing how uncared for they’ve been, as they’ve been reclusive and introverted.
Kaj plays a major part in this story but I won’t lie, I don’t think his story line was as in depth as I wanted it to be. It gave a lot of insight to a situation but I wanted a little more, especially at the end. The story overall felt a little prolonged to move along but the words were still beautiful to read.
Thank you Atria, NetGalley and Tina Harnesk for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
This book led me down a path of discovering the indigenous people by the name of Sámi and how they faced relocation along with the other atrocities faced when it comes to oppression. I appreciated the emphasis on it as it made me want to get more knowledge on something I’ve never heard of.
This book was heartbreaking as it focuses on Mariddja and her recent cancer diagnosis. She’s only been given a short time to live and she wants to reunite with a child from the past. That child is her nephew that stayed with them when his mom was in a hard point in time. It’s been decades and she does the most drastic things to hopefully find him. It made me sad because she’s suffering quietly as her husband has dementia. A cute but heartbreaking moment is when Mariddja discovers Siri and uses that as a way to “talk” to someone. 😭 It reminded me of my grandma a bit and I don’t know, it made me really sad. It all leads to seeing how uncared for they’ve been, as they’ve been reclusive and introverted.
Kaj plays a major part in this story but I won’t lie, I don’t think his story line was as in depth as I wanted it to be. It gave a lot of insight to a situation but I wanted a little more, especially at the end. The story overall felt a little prolonged to move along but the words were still beautiful to read.
Thank you Atria, NetGalley and Tina Harnesk for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
February 4, 2026
The Secret of Snow was a runaway hit in Sweden and follows a reclusive elderly couple, Máriddja and Biera, and a young couple, Kaj and Mimmi, who recently moved to the same small town.
Máriddja is facing a terminal cancer diagnosis but she’s determined to keep the truth from her husband who’s facing health limitations of his own. Máridjja worries who will care for him when she’s gone. I love how these two bicker about everything, knowing they wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.
Across town, Kaj is a bit lost and still mourning his mother’s death. When he finds a box full of hand crafted knives that belonged to his mother, he soon learns they were made by a Sámi craftsman—indigenous people of Scandinavia. The discovery promises to change everything!
This is such a tender and well-crafted debut. It has plenty of humor to balance the heartbreak as it grapples with themes of grief, love, the power of history and a good story.
Author Harnesk herself is of Sámi decent born in Sweden. I had never heard of this culture or its people. I loved learning more through Biera’s memories and Kaj’s interactions with his neighbor’s grandchild Johánás. This kid is a hoot and perhaps wise beyond his years.
I enjoyed watching how the storylines finally intersect though I wish it happened a bit sooner in the book. Still, I think this would be perfect for anyone looking for a unique premise, heavily character driven storyline, and/or a book in translation.
Many thanks to Atria Books for my complimentary ARC of this book, now available in the US!
Máriddja is facing a terminal cancer diagnosis but she’s determined to keep the truth from her husband who’s facing health limitations of his own. Máridjja worries who will care for him when she’s gone. I love how these two bicker about everything, knowing they wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.
Across town, Kaj is a bit lost and still mourning his mother’s death. When he finds a box full of hand crafted knives that belonged to his mother, he soon learns they were made by a Sámi craftsman—indigenous people of Scandinavia. The discovery promises to change everything!
This is such a tender and well-crafted debut. It has plenty of humor to balance the heartbreak as it grapples with themes of grief, love, the power of history and a good story.
Author Harnesk herself is of Sámi decent born in Sweden. I had never heard of this culture or its people. I loved learning more through Biera’s memories and Kaj’s interactions with his neighbor’s grandchild Johánás. This kid is a hoot and perhaps wise beyond his years.
I enjoyed watching how the storylines finally intersect though I wish it happened a bit sooner in the book. Still, I think this would be perfect for anyone looking for a unique premise, heavily character driven storyline, and/or a book in translation.
Many thanks to Atria Books for my complimentary ARC of this book, now available in the US!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Eighty five year old Máriddja had just been diagnosed with cancer, and she assured her concerned doctor she'd be fine without treatment. Her main concern was keeping her diagnosis from her husband Biera. They lived in a small, remote town in a mountainous part of Sweden, in an old cottage that had seen better days.
Meanwhile Kaj had recently buried his beloved mother and he was shattered by grief. It had been only him and Laura for a lot of years and he couldn't imagine life without her. Kaj had moved to a small town and met Mimmi - they were both doctors, and gradually became close. But Kaj also realised he had some connection to the town he'd moved to, through a box of his mother's: it was filled with handicrafts; Sámi - the indigenous people of Scandinavia, and although confused, Kaj's future was set to change...
The Secret of Snow by Swedish author Tina Harnesk is a beautifully written debut novel which is poignant and heartwarming, although sad in places as well. The characters are polished, and I felt for both Máriddja and Biera, especially toward the finish. I also love the cover! Recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for my digital ARC to read and review.
Meanwhile Kaj had recently buried his beloved mother and he was shattered by grief. It had been only him and Laura for a lot of years and he couldn't imagine life without her. Kaj had moved to a small town and met Mimmi - they were both doctors, and gradually became close. But Kaj also realised he had some connection to the town he'd moved to, through a box of his mother's: it was filled with handicrafts; Sámi - the indigenous people of Scandinavia, and although confused, Kaj's future was set to change...
The Secret of Snow by Swedish author Tina Harnesk is a beautifully written debut novel which is poignant and heartwarming, although sad in places as well. The characters are polished, and I felt for both Máriddja and Biera, especially toward the finish. I also love the cover! Recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for my digital ARC to read and review.
February 4, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this charming and heartfelt debut by Tina Harnesk. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!
Máriddja is quite eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, who is suffering from dementia, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone. Kaj is a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated.
If you are a Fredrik Backman fan, you will love this book. Set in Sweden, your heart will go out to this elderly couple with no family trying to survive on their own. It sounds like it might be a depressing book, but it's anything but, because the author balances it so well with humor and charm. Máriddja talks to Siri, thinking she's a friendly operator, and the ensuing conversations will have you in stitches, all the while understanding how technology can be so confusing to elderly people (I certainly feel that way quite often myself!). Be sure and read the author's note on the story of the Sámi people. Just a lovely book.
Máriddja is quite eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, who is suffering from dementia, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone. Kaj is a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated.
If you are a Fredrik Backman fan, you will love this book. Set in Sweden, your heart will go out to this elderly couple with no family trying to survive on their own. It sounds like it might be a depressing book, but it's anything but, because the author balances it so well with humor and charm. Máriddja talks to Siri, thinking she's a friendly operator, and the ensuing conversations will have you in stitches, all the while understanding how technology can be so confusing to elderly people (I certainly feel that way quite often myself!). Be sure and read the author's note on the story of the Sámi people. Just a lovely book.
February 8, 2026
Thank you Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC.
I’ll start by saying I have a real soft spot for Swedish literature, and seeing this recommended by Fredrik Backman instantly made it a must-read for me. The premise completely sold me too - an 85-year-old woman battling cancer and a young doctor grieving his mother? On paper, that’s exactly my kind of quiet, emotional, character-led story.
Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite work for me.
While I appreciate lyrical, atmospheric writing, here it often made the story feel confusing rather than immersive. The constant jumps between past and present weren’t clearly signposted, so I frequently found myself unsure where — or when — we were. Instead of flowing naturally, it disrupted the emotional connection.
There were also quite a few untranslated words and phrases, which pulled me out of the story rather than adding authenticity.
My biggest disappointment, though, was that the two main characters don’t properly meet until around three-quarters of the way through the book. For a story built around their relationship, this felt like a missed opportunity and made the narrative feel strangely distant.
There’s a beautiful idea at the heart of this novel, and moments that really shine, but overall it didn’t come together for me the way I’d hoped.
⭐️ 2 stars
I’ll start by saying I have a real soft spot for Swedish literature, and seeing this recommended by Fredrik Backman instantly made it a must-read for me. The premise completely sold me too - an 85-year-old woman battling cancer and a young doctor grieving his mother? On paper, that’s exactly my kind of quiet, emotional, character-led story.
Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite work for me.
While I appreciate lyrical, atmospheric writing, here it often made the story feel confusing rather than immersive. The constant jumps between past and present weren’t clearly signposted, so I frequently found myself unsure where — or when — we were. Instead of flowing naturally, it disrupted the emotional connection.
There were also quite a few untranslated words and phrases, which pulled me out of the story rather than adding authenticity.
My biggest disappointment, though, was that the two main characters don’t properly meet until around three-quarters of the way through the book. For a story built around their relationship, this felt like a missed opportunity and made the narrative feel strangely distant.
There’s a beautiful idea at the heart of this novel, and moments that really shine, but overall it didn’t come together for me the way I’d hoped.
⭐️ 2 stars
February 28, 2026
4.75 / 5
This was such a wonderfully written story that was heart warming, laugh out loud funny, while showing the culture and history of the Sami people with grace.
I very much enjoyed how quirky and confident Máriddja was (and all of her adventures with Siré!). Each of the characters in the book were a pleasure to meet, imperfect in their own ways, but all good hearted.
The plot starts off very slice of life, disjointed, and can often even read as a collection of beautiful short stories. But, it does start building up to the point where I was itching for the resolution.
The history of the Sami people, the trauma of the forced relocation, and how the government + young generation is trying to keep the culture alive, preserving the history was also very heartwarming to see. I would recommend starting off reading the Author’s Note (which is in the back), because as a newbie to this history, it was a little hard to keep up in the beginning.
Overall, I would highly recommend this novel. Not only did it have a plot to get invested in, it evoked a whole range of emotions, from laughter, sympathy, admiration, and pain. It, uniquely, also captured a setting and a group of people whose stories aren’t often told. (Just make sure to start with the Author's note instead of ending with it!)
This was such a wonderfully written story that was heart warming, laugh out loud funny, while showing the culture and history of the Sami people with grace.
I very much enjoyed how quirky and confident Máriddja was (and all of her adventures with Siré!). Each of the characters in the book were a pleasure to meet, imperfect in their own ways, but all good hearted.
The plot starts off very slice of life, disjointed, and can often even read as a collection of beautiful short stories. But, it does start building up to the point where I was itching for the resolution.
The history of the Sami people, the trauma of the forced relocation, and how the government + young generation is trying to keep the culture alive, preserving the history was also very heartwarming to see. I would recommend starting off reading the Author’s Note (which is in the back), because as a newbie to this history, it was a little hard to keep up in the beginning.
Overall, I would highly recommend this novel. Not only did it have a plot to get invested in, it evoked a whole range of emotions, from laughter, sympathy, admiration, and pain. It, uniquely, also captured a setting and a group of people whose stories aren’t often told. (Just make sure to start with the Author's note instead of ending with it!)
March 2, 2026
Absolutely loved this atmospheric, heartwarming read. Great for fans of Fredrik Backman, Tara June Winch, and anyone who believes in the power of human connection. The book's pacing was excellent--it felt like the pages were turning themselves.
The story focuses on two couples, the elderly Marridja and her husband Biera, and the younger Kaj and Mimmi, as they trudge through a Swedish winter. Marridja is hiding a cancer diagnosis from her husband, Biera, who has health issues of his own. Meanwhile, Kaj is mourning his mysterious mother while working on a move to a small town with his fiancee Mimmi.
As the story unwinds, we learn about these four people's connections to the ancient Sammi people. Each of them confronts loneliness and old hurts while grasping toward meaning in the snowy, icy Swedish winter. The story has a mystery element too, as Marridja mourns the loss of her nephew, the son of her estranged sister-in-law. We follow along with Marridja as she tries to piece together what happened to this beloved nephew, who at one time was like a son to her.
I loved being immersed in the wintry landscape and Swedish and Sammi cultures. Going into this book, I did not know about the history of the ancient Sammi people, the indigenous people of the Arctic and enjoyed learning about them.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story focuses on two couples, the elderly Marridja and her husband Biera, and the younger Kaj and Mimmi, as they trudge through a Swedish winter. Marridja is hiding a cancer diagnosis from her husband, Biera, who has health issues of his own. Meanwhile, Kaj is mourning his mysterious mother while working on a move to a small town with his fiancee Mimmi.
As the story unwinds, we learn about these four people's connections to the ancient Sammi people. Each of them confronts loneliness and old hurts while grasping toward meaning in the snowy, icy Swedish winter. The story has a mystery element too, as Marridja mourns the loss of her nephew, the son of her estranged sister-in-law. We follow along with Marridja as she tries to piece together what happened to this beloved nephew, who at one time was like a son to her.
I loved being immersed in the wintry landscape and Swedish and Sammi cultures. Going into this book, I did not know about the history of the ancient Sammi people, the indigenous people of the Arctic and enjoyed learning about them.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2026
Thank you @atriabooks @simon.audio for my #gifted copies of The Secret of Snow! #atriabooks ##simonaudio
#TheSecretofSnow #AtriaPartner
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐤
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲: 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐢𝐞𝐬
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
This was truly a beautiful book with so much symbolism and a book that really allowed for so much reflection. It really tackles grief and love and self-discovery. Harnesk really did a great job weaving humor and heartbreak together to write this one. I will admit, it did take me a bit to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. The characters were so lovable and I enjoyed watching how everything unfolded. It was also great to learn about Sámi culture, one I was not familiar with prior to reading this book. Of all the characters, Mariddja was my favorite! I just loved her and her personality! I really felt like this book was ultimately a warm hug on a cold winters day and just loved the connection between all of the characters.
🎧The audiobook was narrated by Sofia Engstrand, and I thought she did a great job with this book. I found her to be a soothing voice for search a heartwarming novel and enjoyed my time listening to her bring this one to life!
#TheSecretofSnow #AtriaPartner
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐤
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲: 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐢𝐞𝐬
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
This was truly a beautiful book with so much symbolism and a book that really allowed for so much reflection. It really tackles grief and love and self-discovery. Harnesk really did a great job weaving humor and heartbreak together to write this one. I will admit, it did take me a bit to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. The characters were so lovable and I enjoyed watching how everything unfolded. It was also great to learn about Sámi culture, one I was not familiar with prior to reading this book. Of all the characters, Mariddja was my favorite! I just loved her and her personality! I really felt like this book was ultimately a warm hug on a cold winters day and just loved the connection between all of the characters.
🎧The audiobook was narrated by Sofia Engstrand, and I thought she did a great job with this book. I found her to be a soothing voice for search a heartwarming novel and enjoyed my time listening to her bring this one to life!
March 3, 2026
Thank you @atriabooks @simon.audio #partner for the gifted copies of this book!
I just finished the audiobook of The Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk and my heart is so full. The audiobook was really well done!
This translated novel (and I have to say — beautifully translated) completely swept me away. I can absolutely see why this was such a standout in Sweden. It is the type of book that just kind of quietly sneaks up on you.
At a high level, this story follows an elderly couple whose lives are long since intertwined. They not only have a long history but also have some secrets and their relationship stands the weight of time. It’s equal parts tragic, sweet and incredibly tender. This is one of those books that will just stick with me for a while. Ugh, loved it.
Listening to this on audio made it even more special. The narration really captured the warmth and these cute characters. Especially the conversations with Siri, which were some of my favorite moments. Those exchanges felt so natural and at times unexpectedly funny. I found myself chuckling one minute and tearing up the next.
This isn’t a fast paced kind of story but more of a reflective heart centered one. It honestly felt like a warm hug in book form.
By the end, I just sat there thinking…wow. I love humanity. I love stories about ordinary people with extraordinary depth.
If you enjoy translated fiction and tender character driven love stories then this one is worth the listen.
I just finished the audiobook of The Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk and my heart is so full. The audiobook was really well done!
This translated novel (and I have to say — beautifully translated) completely swept me away. I can absolutely see why this was such a standout in Sweden. It is the type of book that just kind of quietly sneaks up on you.
At a high level, this story follows an elderly couple whose lives are long since intertwined. They not only have a long history but also have some secrets and their relationship stands the weight of time. It’s equal parts tragic, sweet and incredibly tender. This is one of those books that will just stick with me for a while. Ugh, loved it.
Listening to this on audio made it even more special. The narration really captured the warmth and these cute characters. Especially the conversations with Siri, which were some of my favorite moments. Those exchanges felt so natural and at times unexpectedly funny. I found myself chuckling one minute and tearing up the next.
This isn’t a fast paced kind of story but more of a reflective heart centered one. It honestly felt like a warm hug in book form.
By the end, I just sat there thinking…wow. I love humanity. I love stories about ordinary people with extraordinary depth.
If you enjoy translated fiction and tender character driven love stories then this one is worth the listen.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Traditional Format 📕 (digital). Release date: February 3, 2026
What it's about in a sentence: An atmospheric dual narrative charming story, set in the mountains of Northern Sweden, that follows the intersecting lives of an older couple and a younger couple. It's about love, grief and heritage/culture with some humour sprinkled in.
My thoughts on the book: It took me a little bit to get into this book as it's translated from Swedish and I did struggle a little bit with the Swedish names/terminology in the early going but I am glad I powered through. The setting and characters in this book were beautifully written and I found as the writing to be quite poetic throughout. I loved the charming relationship of one of the main characters with Siri (yes, the Apple phone Siri) and it made me giggle at times. I also enjoyed how the plot came together for the two different couples (four main characters). Finally, the element of the Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia was another theme/plot that I enjoyed immensely and the author note at the end of the book was informative.
This is a slow paced novel which gave me Frederik Backman vibes. If you enjoy his books you will likely enjoy this one too. I give this one a 4/5.
Thank you to Atria books and Net Galley for a digital ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
What it's about in a sentence: An atmospheric dual narrative charming story, set in the mountains of Northern Sweden, that follows the intersecting lives of an older couple and a younger couple. It's about love, grief and heritage/culture with some humour sprinkled in.
My thoughts on the book: It took me a little bit to get into this book as it's translated from Swedish and I did struggle a little bit with the Swedish names/terminology in the early going but I am glad I powered through. The setting and characters in this book were beautifully written and I found as the writing to be quite poetic throughout. I loved the charming relationship of one of the main characters with Siri (yes, the Apple phone Siri) and it made me giggle at times. I also enjoyed how the plot came together for the two different couples (four main characters). Finally, the element of the Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia was another theme/plot that I enjoyed immensely and the author note at the end of the book was informative.
This is a slow paced novel which gave me Frederik Backman vibes. If you enjoy his books you will likely enjoy this one too. I give this one a 4/5.
Thank you to Atria books and Net Galley for a digital ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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