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Stolen

By: Ann-Helén Laestadius
Narrated by: Jade Wheeler
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Bloomsbury presents Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius, read by Jade Wheeler.

**NOW A MAJOR GLOBAL NETFLIX ADAPTATION**
**THE INTERNATIONAL NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER**

'Written with heart and great appeal' FINANCIAL TIMES
‘A coming-of-age-story to be loved everywhere in the world’ FREDRIK BACKMAN, author of A MAN CALLED OVE
'Has struck a chord worldwide' NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
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The international sensation: the story of a young Sámi girl's coming-of-age, and a powerful fable about family, identity and justice

Nine-year-old Elsa lives just north of the Arctic Circle. She and her family are Sámi – Scandinavia’s indigenous people – and make their living herding reindeer.

One morning when Elsa goes skiing alone, she witnesses a man brutally killing her reindeer calf, Nástegallu. Elsa recognises the man but refuses to tell anyone – least of all the Swedish police force – about what she saw. Instead, she carries her secret as a dark weight on her heart.

Elsa comes of age fighting two wars: one within her community, where male elders expect young women to know their place; and against the ever-escalating wave of prejudice and violence against the Sámi.

When Elsa finds herself the target of the man who killed her reindeer calf all those years ago, something inside of her finally breaks. The guilt, fear, and anger she’s been carrying since childhood come crashing over her like an avalanche, and will lead Elsa to a final catastrophic confrontation.©2023 Ann-Helén Laestadius Coming of Age Genre Fiction World Literature Fiction Native American Heartfelt
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Critic reviews

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, author of A MAN CALLED OVE)
The simple storytelling, told through the eyes of a child, lurches into the brooding darkness of a thriller, with more than a touch of Nordic noir
Ann-Helén Laestadius’s debut novel for adults highlights the discrimination Sweden’s ethnic minority Sami have suffered over the years for their determination to pursue a traditional lifestyle as reindeer herders
Extraordinarily good ... A gripping and moving work of literary fiction ... Stolen promises to be the catalyst for a greater global awareness of the range of issues facing the Sámi. First and foremost, it’s a terrific novel
Her mastery of imagery is second to none
An epic, multi-generational tale ... Stolen is a clear-eyed, sometimes shocking account of the persecution of a people whose language has been restricted, their culture repressed and land taken from them. Laestadius’s description of the layers of trauma passed down the generations is particularly affecting
It’s with laudable subtlety that Laestadius depicts the stresses and strains unique to a people trying to stay true to their ancient way of life while coping with prejudice, persecution and the unfolding impact of global heating
The heart, and the great appeal, of this novel is its empathetic portrait of a young woman who flourishes in this harsh, but beautiful, landscape ... Highlights the paradox of being oppressed in one of the most egalitarian countries in the world ... Laestadius has a keen eye for ... the elemental hardship of life on the edge of a wilderness’
A moving and powerful exploration of the Sámi community ... This eye-opening, explorative insight into the Sámi community and a personal journey for the author has had a profound and lingering effect on me as a reader.
It possesses a strong narrative drive and offers an immediacy and accessibility that allows an unhindered glimpse into the experience of modern-day Sami, making a convincing and fervent argument for greater protection of their land-tied way of life
Has struck a chord worldwide
An atmospheric tale, both beautiful and cruel
Beautiful and devastating, Stolen shines a powerful and important light on the Sámi community and the growing challenges they face in a changing world (CAROLE JOHNSTONE, author of MIRRORLAND)
In this moving crime novel Laestadius helps us comprehend what a terrible trauma for the Sami people this clash of cultures represents, and to bear witness to the erosion of their cherished way of life
All stars
Most relevant
I heard the author reviewed on Radio 4 and was really interested to hear about this way of life. It’s enjoyable and I think it’s almost a family listen excluding a couple of gruesome bits about the reindeers being slaughtered.
It has a certain naïveté about it and I did wonder if it was original meant to be like this or this is due to it’s translation.

Enjoyable listen

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This is fiction but based on real life experiences of life as a Sami. Sweden is looked up to as one of the most liberal and forward looking countries in the world. Not so with regard to their treatment of the Sami their indigenous population. For the Sami despite laws made to protect and help them they were routinely discriminated against, abused, threatened and mistreated and the police in general ignored these crimes as if they didn't exist. In this story, however, they are eventually supported by an officer who investigates complaints and crimes properly and they start to be acknowledged just at the point when their way of life threatens to end due to climate change.

A sad but excellent story

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Would have preferred a English speaking Scandinavian but that’s the only criticism
Great plot & good character development.
Very informative about the Reindeer herders
Lives & conditions.

Great Nordic atmosphere

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If I could, I’d give this 3 1/2 stars. It was charming early on with the descriptions of modern Sámi
life, and the contrast between the Sámi characters and other character was interesting, but the ‘mystery’ or ‘crime’ always felt flat, low-stakes.

I didn’t want to stop reading, wanting closure and being genuinely interested in the outcome of an investigation (or series of investigations) running through the novel, but I also could wait for this to be finished to move on to something more light hearted. I wasn’t gripped, but I was definitely interested.

I understood halfway through that the novel was more one built around a young girl’s trauma and her brother’s mental health, rather than the crime itself, but this made the novel bleak and occasionally boring. However, when the novel was at its bleakest, links to an earlier predicament where made which brought interesting questions and ideas surrounding morality and life into the novel, and that rescued this from being a 3 star novel - it made me think: is concealing the truth the same as lying, and is lying, anyway, a crime?

An interesting take on modern Sámi life within a less interesting crime story

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book! The translation was good. The perfect read/listen for winter time.

Very moving story

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