The End of Drum Time

by Hanna Pylväinen.
In 1851, at a remote village in the Scandinavian tundra, a Lutheran minister Lars Levi Laestadius, known as Mad Lasse for his impassioned sermons, tries in vain to convert the native Sámi reindeer herders to his faith and break their cycle of alcohol dependency that he believes threatens their very souls. But when one of the most respected herders has a dramatic awakening and dedicates his life to the church, his impetuous son, Ivvár, is left to guard their diminishing herd alone. By chance, Ivvár meets Mad Lasse’s daughter Willa, and their blossoming infatuation grows into something that ultimately crosses borders—of cultures, of beliefs, and of political divides—as Willa follows the herders on their arduous annual migration north to the sea.
Gorgeously written and sweeping in scope, it immerses readers in a world lit by the northern lights, steeped in age-old rituals, and guided by passions that transcend place and time.
Hardcover, 352pp. 2023