The Palace of the Snow Queen

The Palace of the Snow Queen

Winter Travels in Lapland and Sápmi

Barbara Sjoholm

An exploration of the winter wonders and entangled histories of Scandinavia’s northernmost landscapes—now back in print with a new afterword by the author

352 Pages, 6 x 9 in

  • Paperback
  • 9781517915148
  • Published: October 31, 2023
BUY
  • eBook
  • 9781452970721
  • Published: October 31, 2023
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Details

The Palace of the Snow Queen

Winter Travels in Lapland and Sápmi

Barbara Sjoholm

ISBN: 9781517915148

Publication date: October 31st, 2023

352 Pages

1 map

9 x 5

"The Palace of the Snow Queen is an exquisite book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Lapland in particular, or travel in general."—Vendela Vida


"A captivating homage to the frozen far North and the Sámi."—Booklist

 

"An enticing entrée for those in search of extreme weather in a scenic clime."—Kirkus Reviews

 

"Sjoholm maintains a keen eye for observation, leaving romanticism behind, while still indulging in the swooning beauty of the far North."—Seattle Times

 

"After reading this book, readers get a real sense of life in a dark, very cold, yet also beautiful land."—Library Journal

 

"Sjoholm’s writing is beautiful and vivid, with a precise and emotionally effective command of the language. A spectacular book, not to be missed by anyone fascinated with the North, or anyone who enjoys reflections on culture, art, and history."—Bookslut

 

"Sjoholm's travel tale describes the beauty of the Arctic, taking readers into a magical winter wonderland."—The Norwegian American

 

"As an introduction to Sápmi as a living place with a living culture and rich history, The Palace of the Snow Queen offers a readable and well-researched account, which covers the historical, cultural, and political."—H-Net Reviews

 

"Ms. Sjoholm tells this non-fiction story in a way that brings the history and culture of the Far North to life."—Swedish American Genealogist

 

 


An exploration of the winter wonders and entangled histories of Scandinavia’s northernmost landscapes—now back in print with a new afterword by the author
 

After many years of travel in the Nordic countries—usually preferring to visit during the warmer months—Barbara Sjoholm found herself drawn to Lapland and Sápmi one winter just as mørketid, the dark time, set in. What ensued was a wide-ranging journey that eventually spanned three winters, captivatingly recounted in The Palace of the Snow Queen

 

From observing the annual construction of the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, to crossing the storied Finnmark Plateau in Norway, to attending a Sámi film festival in Finland, Sjoholm dives deep into the rich traditions and vibrant creative communities of the North. She writes of past travelers to Lapland and contemporary tourists in Sápmi, as well as of her encounters with Indigenous reindeer herders, activists, and change-makers. Her new afterword bears witness to the perseverance of the Sámi in the face of tourism, development, and climate change.  

 

Written with keen insight and humor, The Palace of the Snow Queen is a vivid account of Sjoholm’s adventures and a timely investigation of how ice and snow shape our imaginations and create a vision that continues to draw visitors to the North.

Barbara Sjoholm is a writer and translator of Danish and Norwegian literature. Her translations include By the Fire: Sami Folktales and Legends (Minnesota, 2019), and she is author of Black Fox: A Life of Emilie Demant Hatt, Artist and Ethnographer and From Lapland to Sápmi: Collecting and Returning Sámi Craft and Culture (Minnesota, 2022). She lives on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.

Contents

Author’s Note xi

I. Early Winter

1. The Blue Hour 3

2. The Architecture of Snow and Ice 21

3. The Palace of the Snow Queen 41

4. How the Wild Reindeer Was Tamed 59

5. Traveling in the Dark 73

6. On the Finnmark Plateau 97

7. Santa’s Post Office 121

8. Brazilians at the Ice Cinema 135

9. Postcards from Lapland 155

II. Mid Winter

10. Macbeth on Ice 177

11. Iron Mountain 193

12. A Day at the Races 215

13. Winter Market 235

III. Late Winter

14. Untouched Lapland 257

15. “As Long As We Have Waters” 277

16. The Architecture of Melting Ice 295

Afterword   313

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