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- 8 August 2022
- Reading suggestion
- gsclibrary
Life in rural northern Sweden has never been easy for the Sámi people.
As nomads who follow their reindeer across vast pastures and through harsh wilderness, reindeer herding is more than just a profession for them. It is a way of life, deeply rooted in tradition.
Traditions can often weigh heavy on young shoulders. Take Ánte, for example. As his parents’ only child, he seems destined to live a traditional Sámi life. But when his feelings for his best friend Erik suddenly develop into something much larger, the life he thought he would live changes, and his hidden feelings get pushed to the fore.
Moa Backe Åstot offers an empathetic rendering of love in her powerful debut novel, Himlabrand.
This is a love story. A beautiful, complicated one.
Ánte’s longing is clear, how people will react to his feelings is less so. What will his family and friends think? Does Erik even feel the same? Homosexuality is considered taboo by some elder members of his community. Ánte does not even know if he can be gay and a Sámi reindeer herder.
Woven into this web of inner turmoil and conflicting emotions is a story about Sweden’s colonial history and inherited trauma. This is a work imbued with Sámi culture. Moa Backe Åstot is herself a Sámi from a reindeer-owning family. This adds an authenticity to the material.
This is young adult fiction at its finest.
Moa Backe Åstot (1998) is a reindeer-owning Sámi and lives in Jokkmokk. Himlabrand is her debut novel. It was nominated for the 2022 Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize.
About the Readers of Europe campaign
The year 2022 has been designated the European Year of Youth. The Council Library has therefore chosen to devote the third edition of its annual Readers of Europe initiative to young people, putting the focus squarely on new and emerging European literary talent.
The permanent representations to the EU have once again been invited to recommend books from their countries to read over the summer. The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘Discover something new’, the idea being that every permanent representation selects a book by an author who has published their first work within the last five years. We will promote these selections over the summer on the Council Library blog.
Europe is awash with exciting young authors. Dive into this selection and discover stories that hum with fresh ideas and luminous prose. Novels that ask piercing questions about humanity. Stories that are edgy and beautiful, gripping and unsettling. Stories worthy of a place in any library.
So find a comfy place to sit back and relax as we showcase some of Europe’s promising literary talent.
This post does not necessarily represent the positions, policies, or opinions of the Council of the European Union or the European Council.
The Council Library reading room is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12.00 to 15.00. The Info Desk remains open online from Monday to Friday.
