book cover of Stolen
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Stolen

(2023)
A novel by

 
 
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF 2023 * SOON TO BE A NETFLIX FILM

A spellbinding Swedish novel that follows a young indigenous woman as she struggles to defend her family’s reindeer herd and culture amidst xenophobia, climate change, and a devious hunter whose targeted kills are considered mere theft in the eyes of the law.

On a winter day north of the Arctic Circle, nine-year-old Elsa—daughter of Sámi reindeer herders—sees a man brutally kill her beloved reindeer calf and threaten her into silence. When her father takes her to report the crime, local police tell them that there is nothing they can do about these “stolen” animals. Killings like these are classified as theft in the reports that continue to pile up, uninvestigated. But reindeer are not just the Sámi’s livelihood, they also hold spiritual significance; attacking a reindeer is an attack on the culture itself.

Ten years later, hatred and threats against the Sámi keep escalating, and more reindeer are tortured and killed in Elsa’s community. Finally, she’s had enough and decides to push back on the apathetic police force. The hunter comes after her this time, leading to a catastrophic final confrontation.

Based on real events, Ann-Helén Laestadius’s award-winning novel
Stolen is part coming-of-age story, part love song to a disappearing natural world, and part electrifying countdown to a dramatic resolution—a searing depiction of a forgotten part of Sweden.

Genre: Literary Fiction

Praise for this book

"Stolen is an extraordinary novel. A coming-of-age-story you'll get lost in, about youth and heritage and the never-ending struggle to be allowed to exist. Although set in the coldest and most northern part of Scandinavia, I'm convinced it's a universal story to be loved everywhere in the world." - Fredrik Backman

"Sami author Ann-Helen Laestadius has written a fresh, devastating, and insightful novel about Sami life and the struggle for justice in a rapidly changing world. A love for the imperiled landscape reverberates throughout this engaging read." - Megan Mayhew Bergman

"Stolen is a deeply gripping and atmospheric novel that will take hold of your heart. Filled with compelling characters and a formidable landscape--this debut is a triumph!" - Danielle Daniel

"Stolen is in equal measure a gripping and thrilling mystery as it is a testament to the continued beating heart of Sami life. Ann-Helen Laestadius takes her place as an important voice in world Indigenous literature." - Michelle Good

"Beautiful and devastating, Stolen shines a powerful and important light on the Sami community and the growing challenges they face in a changing world." - Carole Johnstone


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