To Cook a Bear
Winner of the Petrona Award 2021
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3.8 • 4 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
"So much to relish here . . . the plot is gripping, there's a beautifully handled thread on reading and writing, and the writing is just lovely!" DIANE SETTERFIELD, author of Once Upon A River
"The year's most memorable narrator . . . An unusual and intriguing crime story" SUNDAY TIMES BOOKS OF THE YEAR
"Niemi succeeds in constructing a story that works as a murder mystery and as a compelling study of a dangerously inward-looking community" SUNDAY TIMES
"A riveting, psychologically astute mystery . . . It is not to be missed" BOOKLIST
"An original and gripping crime story" THE TIMES
**NOW SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA INTERNATIONAL DAGGER**
It is 1852, and in Sweden's far north, deep in the Arctic Circle, charismatic preacher and Revivalist Lars Levi Læstadius impassions a poverty-stricken congregation with visions of salvation. But local leaders have reason to resist a shift to temperance over alcohol.
Jussi, the young Sami boy Læstadius has rescued from destitution and abuse, becomes the preacher's faithful disciple on long botanical treks to explore the flora and fauna. Læstadius also teaches him to read and write - and to love and fear God.
When a milkmaid goes missing deep in the forest, the locals suspect a predatory bear is at large. A second girl is attacked, and the sheriff is quick to offer a reward for the bear's capture. Using early forensics and daguerreotype, Læstadius and Jussi find clues that point to a far worse killer on the loose, even as they are unaware of the evil closing in around them.
To Cook a Bear explores how communities turn inwards, how superstition can turn to violence, and how the power of language can be transformative in a richly fascinating mystery.
"Superb suspense . . . Simply a great literary experience!" V.G. (Sweden)
"A masterpiece of narrative" La Vanguardia (Spain)
"A philosophical novel, a crime novel, a historical novel and a coming-of-age story complement one another" La Stampa (Italy)
"One is transported into a strange time and a fascinating world that is both beautiful and brutal" Politiken (Denmark)
"Formidable delivery . . . Unlike anything else you have read . . . An incredible novel" Adresseavisen
Translated from the Swedish by Deborah Bragan-Turner
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Swedish author Niemi (Popular Music from Vittula) draws on classic murder mystery elements for a sumptuous, deeply informed historical account of 19th-century Lutheran revivalist Lars Levi Laestadius and his adopted son, Jussi, a Sami runaway who narrates most of the novel. After his education, influential teetotaler Laestadius returns to his native Kengis in northern Sweden to minister to the nomadic Sami people, driven by a mission to help end the alcoholism that has affected them over the past few decades. As a crime spree hits the village, with bodies piling up at a precipitous rate, the local authorities attribute the deaths to bear attacks, accidents, or suicides. Laestadius draws on his powers of observation as a botanist to investigate the cases, one of which plays out as a traditional locked room murder. The preacher enlists the aid of Jussi, who Laestadius taught to read and write, and who eventually becomes the target of suspicion among the villagers once they realize foul play is involved. While the plot isn't likely to leave mystery aficionados baffled, it provides a lively framework for a story that, in other hands might have been devoted to sermon writing and leaf examination. Niemi's sensitive approach to cultural differences and sharp interest in period details make this worthwhile.
Customer Reviews
Loaded for bear
Author
Swedish author. Lives in the far north of the country (Swedish Lapland). Many of his books contain some Meänkieli language, the local variety of Finnish. Apparently, he made his name writing poetry, and is also a playwright. His first poetry collection was called Nosebleed During The High Mass, which sounds like something the Hilltop Hoods might have sampled. Or possibly not. Mr N's debut novel, Popular Music From Vittula (2000), was a best-seller in Sweden and translated into 30 languages. The picture of him in his Goodreads author profile made me think I'd clicked on Steve Buscemi's Facebook page by mistake.
In brief
It's 1852 in the far north of Sweden. Cold AF, in other words. Jussi, a runaway Sami kid (see footnote), becomes the de facto adopted son and disciple of a preacher/botanist named Laestadius (see other footnote), as you would. They head off on long treks through the forest where the old boy waxes lyrical about plants with a side order of philosophy and spirituality. Then one day, a chick (read milk maid) goes missing and turns up dead. The locals are locked and loaded for bear after the constable offers a reward for capturing it. The Preacher sees evidence of a far worse killer at work, especially after another chick gets badly injured. As the Preacher fires the local yokels up with his Sunday sermons, he p***es off the powers-that-be in the area because no one's buying their grog any more, but he and the kid eventually track down the murderer.
Writing
While the central character Laestadius was a real person, the plot is pure, or nearly pure, fiction as I understand it. I can't vouch for the quality of the translation, but found the English version emotive and highly readable. The mystery element is barely more than token. This book is all about the character development, which is excellent.
Bottom line
A unique book in many ways. Unlikely to be everyone's cup of tea, but a refreshing change from the crime/noir that dominates Swedish fiction nowadays.
Footnotes
1. The Sámi have historically been known in English as Lapps or Laplanders. These terms are regarded as offensive by some Sámi people, who prefer the area's name in their own language. I'm with them. At school, I was forced to learn (or try to) a song called 'Lapland' on the recorder. I hated it.
3. Lars Levi Laestadius (1800–1861) was a Swedish pastor, botanist and author active in the far north of Sweden, and a key figure in the pietist Lutheran revival movement. He was of Sámi descent and had a Sámi wife.