Reviews

Ædnan by Linnea Axelsson

amaezing's review

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

kirstihelena's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

readsrandiread's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Colonisation, Ableism, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Racism, Medical trauma, and Racial slurs

barnstormingbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

5.0

Axelsson’s use of the epic poem structure to tell a multi-generational story of colonization of the Sami people in the northern Nordic region is perfection. Sparse and haunting, the tight language seems to fit a people that live in a harsh climate and have made a life that works in these extreme elements. Vogel’s translation works well, keeping the reader engaged in the generational plight of families forced away from tradition by imperialist and racist forces including the implications of political boundaries devoid of the actual land, animals and humans who inhabit that land. 

I will admit that this is a blind spot for me. I know little about this area of the world outside of a little Norse mythology and a love for the Skarsgard brothers, this opened my eyes. I also wondered through out, especially based on the time frame of this book, and the relationship between those times and the actions taken against the Sami people, how much the Swedish government looked to the American and Canadian treatment of indigenous populations as a blueprint for genocide? 

Please read this book. As I was ill when I tackled it I combined the audio with the physical book. Which helped me infinitely to hear and understand the beauty of this work. 

joelrandeblad's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

sittingwishingreading's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

kpignuolo's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.75

andersls's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

susanneanette's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0