The Palace of the Snow Queen
Winter Travels in Lapland and Sápmi
Diving deep into the rich traditions and vibrant creative communities of northern Scandinavia, Barbara Sjoholm shares her winter adventures in Lapland and Sápmi in The Palace of the Snow Queen. Writing with keen insight and humor, she offers a timely investigation of how ice and snow shape our imaginations and create a vision that continues to draw visitors to the North.
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
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 Ice Hotel 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.
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
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