We are reading “Stolen” by Ann-Helén Laestadius, a novel that offers a chilling and intense insight into Sámi culture and the struggle for identity and community.

What happens when the line between right and wrong begins to blur?

One day, nine-year-old Elsa walks alone to her family’s reindeer enclosure and is met with a horrifying sight: her own reindeer calf, Nástegallu, lies dead on the ground, and a man from a nearby town stands over it with a bloody knife in his hand. The incident is just one of many acts of violence against the reindeer—the very lifeline of Sámi culture—and the threats shape Elsa’s life forever.

The novel, which was named Book of the Year in Sweden in 2024, is driven by Elsa’s search for justice—a story of nature, cultural conflict, family, community, and the quiet desperation that grows when no one listens.

Location: The Library
Time: 8:00–9:45 PM
Book salon host: Eva Birklund

Coffee and tea will be served.