Land of Snow and Ashes

"Petra Rautiainen's novel is not only a fascinating story but also an example on how a work of fiction can be an important source of information on the history of indigenous peoples and other minorities. Getting to know the central characters Piera and Bigga-Marja opens a window into our Sámi culture and hopefully sparks an interest in the reader to find out more about the painful history of the indigenous people of Sámi in Finland."

"When we at Otava first read the manuscript for Petra Rautiainen’s debut novel, it was clear we had a real gem in our hands. The novel is the work of an exceptional literary talent, written in a powerful prose that reflects the rugged beauty of the novel’s arctic setting. At the same time, the novel reads like a thriller, exploring the dark secrets of WWII prison camps in Finnish Lapland. It is this rare combination of high literary quality and strong commercial appeal that makes Petra Rautiainen’s novel quite simply a dream come true for a publisher."

"Touching and intense, Land of Snow and Ashes is one of those books you feel so lucky to have in your hands. The writing is beautiful, the structure is perfect, the setting so interesting and well researched, and the way how the story develops through a dual storyline captivating. It creates a growing suspense that leads to a great coup de théâtre. Moreover, the landscape and nature descriptions are so vivid and strong, that you feel like everything you’re reading about is happening right now in your room. The topic of human beings trying to reinvent themselves and hide the evil done is universal and belongs to each war and each time of inhumanity. This is fiction that arouses curiosity and stirs emotions."

"I’m thrilled to have acquired Land of Snow and Ashes, a novel that opens a whole new window on an otherwise familiar chapter of history. Just as importantly, it does so by telling a gripping story and with fully developed characters. I can’t wait for readers to ‘land’ in Lapland when Land of Snow and Ashes arrives as a lead title for Pushkin in early 2022."

"The way Petra Rautiainen intertwines Väinö's diary with Inkeri's experience in post-war-Lapland is uniquely crafted. Through her descriptions of war, the madness, all the emotional, tragic and terrifying events are highlighted and feel even closer. Her characters come to life with just a few sentences and she has the talent to reach deep into their hopes and fears, creating an instant immersion into the story.

In some chapters, she succeeds in writing a page turning thriller, passages that leave the reader breathless stand next to poetic descriptions of the northern landscape. And above all, she writes about a burning topic of today's society: Dealing with the history of suppression, making amends to marginalized minorities and facing the whole truth of the past."

"The combination of drama between the characters, social analysis and the recount of recent history of violence results in a recipe for success. A reader turns the pages at a record pace… The novel is so addictive it challenges its worst competitors - the Internet streaming services.

In this prose by a historian, punctuality and abundance of knowledge build a solid and analytical account of the world. And the actions do not merely stay in their historical context, but form a universally valid representation of the problems that are continuously relevant in power relations and for minorities."

"A perfectly robust, intense thriller plot.

Land of Snow And Ashes describes the complex landscape of the 40’s Lapland ambitiously and beautifully… This debut novel explores the themes of Sámi culture and colonialism alongside German and Finnish brothers-in-arms.

The characters in the novel clearly show how very young people go to war. For them, post-war freedom in peacetime is “mere chaos”…. The novel also depicts in a relatable way the difficulty of a swaying identity in the form of a young Sámi girl."

“The addressed matters merge into an exquisite, thrilling, shocking and touching story….this suspense-packed page-turner leads to an unexpected ending. This is a superb book.”

"The book is uncomfortable. I thank the author for being bold and writing about how things have actually been. The book doesn’t explain, it shows.

Land of Snow and Ashes is beautiful, touching, and above all a really important book. I hope that as many as possible can get their hands on this book."

"A novel that has it all: suspense, love, jealousy, sex and war! It reads like a thriller and at the same time, it is thought-provoking.

The characters and nature are beautifully depicted. The language is sparse, and in its simplicity, it leaves an even greater impression on the reader. The metaphors and the descriptions are impressively clever, and this seemingly lightness of the language makes the novel easy to read considering the severity of the story itself.
LAND OF SNOW AND ASHES covers an important part of Finnish and Sámi history. The novel offers a voice for the Sámi people as a minority, for their culture, language, and rights. The story set in Lapland shows us how the Sámi people are viewed in the eyes of others, and how this view changes over the course of time.

“A unique setting and strong characters combined with a purposely hidden part of history - who could want for more in a novel? Petra Rautiainen has a compelling voice and writing style, and we’re excited to be able to share this promising authorship with the readers.”

"A debut novel that touched me with its beautiful narration."

"A magnificent debut! A close-knit story that will sweep you away. The northern prison camps and the coping mechanisms of individuals during the war and post-war are moving."

“The book is compelling, harsh by moments but heartful and very well written. I was enthralled by Inkeri’s quest, and both timelines are well constructed and fascinating. The author manages to draw complex characters, describe an amazing land and deal with such a difficult topic.
I haven’t read such a brilliant and original historical novel for a while.”

"In Land of Snow and Ashes, criticism is heard via Inkeri's acquaintances Piera and Bigga- Marja. Their dialogue is sometimes in Sámi, untranslated. The Sámi have seldom (if ever?) been portrayed in Finnish fiction in such an interactive way.
Small comments explaining Sámi culture or a reference to "at these latitudes" fit well into the mouths of the narrator and protagonist from the south. Cultural ownership has been a point of discussion in recent years, and one could think the most sensitive advocates might mistake the combination of the Finnish writer and Sámi depiction as colonial. But if an author can’t write like this about other people, then there is no way at all."

"As a Finn Rautiainen succeeds in describing the history of Finland’s colonialization and also gives a voice to the Sámi instead of depicting them as silent or passive victims. Her novel points out, especially by Inkeri and Bigga-Marja, what society has done to the Sámi. However, the novel does not blame, but gives something to reflect on."

"The author’s language is fresh, sparkling, but as chilling as early morning in the far north. Petra Rautiainen’s debut novel depicts the brutality of the war that scarred Lapland in the mid-1940s. But her voice is entirely comprehensible even to readers beyond the frontiers of Finland. Through our catalogue, we aspire to bring to the Czech reading public the most awe-inspiring works of contemporary prose. This is a book that simply cannot be overlooked.”

"Is just the right mix of a significant national historical topic and a very symbolic nature portrayal.”

“In 1944 Finland reversed its second world war allegiance to the Nazis following a treaty with Russia. This debut novel is set in part during that shaky period, narrated by a soldier working in a Nazi camp in the northern town of Inari, “at the edge of the earth”. His diary alternates with the story of photographer Inkeri after the war, ostensibly reporting on the loss of the local Sámi culture, but really looking for her husband who went missing in the war. In the 1944 sections, we find out what happened to him. Rautiainen’s prose is occasionally clunky as it makes points about cultural domination (“Photography was about power – a form of manipulation”), but the book reveals so much more about a war we thought we knew that it feels like a potted epic.”

"Rautiainen is undertaking a doctorate looking at the representation of Sámi cultures in Finnish media and is perfectly placed to analyse the prevailing tensions. Taking Remes and Lindqvist as her eyes and ears matches her need to interpret the nuances of the precarity of the Lappalainen, their way of life withering as southern Finland prospers - It is good that Rautiainen is revealing this undercover genocide and translators like Hackston are spreading the word. A thrilling novel but deeply horrific."

"Petra Rautiainen’s novel is one of the best I have read in a long time: a historical novel and a tight, existential thriller in one book ... Rautiainen intertwines the two storylines with elegance: the novel is an intense page-turner that will take the reader’s
breath away."

"... strong and lingering with multi-dimensional characters."

"It's an impressive page-turner. Suspense, historical novel, and literary memoir in one."

"Rautiainen weaves in the elements of Finland's recent hidden history in the European context, and gives voice to Sámi people, while Inkeri's personal investigation shows the painful truths of human brutality and the cost of survival in extreme conditions. A harsh yet beautiful landscape adds to the mystery and allows for reflection and thought in this striking historical but contemporary novel."