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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I wanted to love this book as the previous reviews were so positive, but I found it's pacing so uneven that I had trouble investing in any of the characters. Perhaps the Scandinavian themed historical fiction is not my thing.....
One of the best books I've read in a long time. I loved this historical fiction, and became really engrossed in this story. The characters become real, and the struggles of the people against the onslaught of winter was intense. I love how the author wove in the beliefs of the people, and the way she portrayed the women - very strong and determined. The earth woman, Maija, and her daughter Frederika will stay with me along time. This was a debut novel, and I hope to see more from Cecilia Ekback. I read this books in two sittings - it was the perfect novel for February in Upstate NY.
Wolf Winter is a historical mystery-thriller from Sweden. It is 1717. Maija and her young family are moving from their costal home to start over in the mountains of the Swedish Lapplands. Shortly after their arrival a neighbor’s mutilated body is discovered on the mountain. Many of the settlers try and write off the death as a wolf attack, but Maija is hesitant to believe it. There are too many unanswered questions and no one is giving a straight answer. As the wolf winter, a winter so harsh it reminds one just how human they are, sets in, Maija’s husband must leave to seek food and supplies for the family. Maija is left with the newly arrived priest to discover the dark histories of the mountain and what the cost of survival really is.
Wolf Winter is full of historical detail and insights; a fantastic ‘whodunnit’ rich with character and place. For those looking for a mystery with depth, pick up a copy today
Wolf Winter is full of historical detail and insights; a fantastic ‘whodunnit’ rich with character and place. For those looking for a mystery with depth, pick up a copy today
Set in Swedish Lappland in 1717, Cecilia Ekbäck’s debut novel Wolf Winter follows a family of four, Maija, her husband Paavo and their daughters Frederika and Dorotea from a fishing village in their native Finland to the forested lands surrounding Sweden’s Blackåsen mountain.
They swap houses with Maija’s brother, deciding a life in the interior may be better suited to Paavo, who had developed numerous fears keeping him from earning his living at sea. However, when their daughters stumble across a dead body allegedly killed by wolves, on a route near the mountain, they begin to wonder whether they have left one dark dream for an even blacker nightmare.
Maiji suspects it was a crime and makes it her business to ask questions to an extremely reticent and unappreciative band of local settlers and itinerant Lapps.
Her husband never questions her interference, even when present he plays no role and as soon as the first signs herald the approach of winter, he sets off alone for the coast, leaving the women-folk to survive the harsh physical elements and the even stranger mystical apparitions that some but not all will witness. Without a man to steer them out of trouble, the woman face many risks, not least being perceived as dabbling in witchcraft, as church records show has happened to a few others with similar inclinations who preceded them.
Unfortunately, I couldn't really get into this novel in the way I wanted to, though it wasn't a difficult read. It didn't portray a sense of the era, it felt contemporary even though it did evoke a strong sense of place and it was clear there were no modern comforts. Perhaps it was the attitude and freedom of the protagonist that didn't sit with the era.
The time spent with a number of the characters was so fleeting, it left too little of an impact and rendered them insufficient to develop an interest in. The storyline itself raised so many questions that went unanswered, like why did the husband go off and leave his family in such a vulnerable position when they could have gone with him and been protected.
And why did the wife think she as a newcomer could become an investigator into a crime that clearly the locals were not happy about being questioned, especially when it threatened her safety. Her role was to assist in bringing new life (she was a kind of midwife) and yet at every turn she was endangering those close to her. The younger daughter nearly lost her feet to frostbite after trekking in a blizzard to ask the Lapps questions about the murder. I didn't believe in Maiji’s intentions and relationships and the blurred line between reality and the mystical elements. I wanted to be drawn in by it, but was unable to brush off the scepticism.
So what drew me towards reading this novel in the first place?
Well the snowy winter setting was very appealing, the plot sounded intriguing and the praise of Hilary Mantel and the Library Journal, who had this to say definitely lured me in:
“The novel will appeal to readers who like their historical fiction dark and atmospheric, or mystery fans who are open to mysticism and unconventional sleuths. Readers who enjoyed the winter landscape and magical realism of Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child may also want to try this.” Library Journal
“The story creeps up and possesses the imagination; there’s something eerie in the way half-understood and only half-seen events leave their mark. It’s a powerful feat of suggestion, visually acute, skillfully written; it won’t easily erase its tracks in the reader’s mind.” Hilary Mantel
It was an interesting concept and disappointing that it wasn't more engaging, but for those who like a good mystery with an element of hinted at magical realism, this could be just what Hilary Mantel suggests it is.
They swap houses with Maija’s brother, deciding a life in the interior may be better suited to Paavo, who had developed numerous fears keeping him from earning his living at sea. However, when their daughters stumble across a dead body allegedly killed by wolves, on a route near the mountain, they begin to wonder whether they have left one dark dream for an even blacker nightmare.
Maiji suspects it was a crime and makes it her business to ask questions to an extremely reticent and unappreciative band of local settlers and itinerant Lapps.
Her husband never questions her interference, even when present he plays no role and as soon as the first signs herald the approach of winter, he sets off alone for the coast, leaving the women-folk to survive the harsh physical elements and the even stranger mystical apparitions that some but not all will witness. Without a man to steer them out of trouble, the woman face many risks, not least being perceived as dabbling in witchcraft, as church records show has happened to a few others with similar inclinations who preceded them.
Unfortunately, I couldn't really get into this novel in the way I wanted to, though it wasn't a difficult read. It didn't portray a sense of the era, it felt contemporary even though it did evoke a strong sense of place and it was clear there were no modern comforts. Perhaps it was the attitude and freedom of the protagonist that didn't sit with the era.
The time spent with a number of the characters was so fleeting, it left too little of an impact and rendered them insufficient to develop an interest in. The storyline itself raised so many questions that went unanswered, like why did the husband go off and leave his family in such a vulnerable position when they could have gone with him and been protected.
And why did the wife think she as a newcomer could become an investigator into a crime that clearly the locals were not happy about being questioned, especially when it threatened her safety. Her role was to assist in bringing new life (she was a kind of midwife) and yet at every turn she was endangering those close to her. The younger daughter nearly lost her feet to frostbite after trekking in a blizzard to ask the Lapps questions about the murder. I didn't believe in Maiji’s intentions and relationships and the blurred line between reality and the mystical elements. I wanted to be drawn in by it, but was unable to brush off the scepticism.
So what drew me towards reading this novel in the first place?
Well the snowy winter setting was very appealing, the plot sounded intriguing and the praise of Hilary Mantel and the Library Journal, who had this to say definitely lured me in:
“The novel will appeal to readers who like their historical fiction dark and atmospheric, or mystery fans who are open to mysticism and unconventional sleuths. Readers who enjoyed the winter landscape and magical realism of Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child may also want to try this.” Library Journal
“The story creeps up and possesses the imagination; there’s something eerie in the way half-understood and only half-seen events leave their mark. It’s a powerful feat of suggestion, visually acute, skillfully written; it won’t easily erase its tracks in the reader’s mind.” Hilary Mantel
It was an interesting concept and disappointing that it wasn't more engaging, but for those who like a good mystery with an element of hinted at magical realism, this could be just what Hilary Mantel suggests it is.
Outside of my comfort zone, as I don't care for mysteries. However, the setting drew me and I ended up really enjoying this. It is slow and requires a lot of patience, but it was worth the effort. The atmosphere is very bleak and I felt the cold of the winter; the writing wasn't frilly and matched the landscape. Interesting characters and motivations, with plenty of mystery surrounding each person in the story. I don't think Swedish murder mysteries will become a regular part of my reading, but this was a good story and historical setting.
I was mostly enamored with the setting. The cast and the way they moved the plot at a glacial pace, not so much.
DNF @ 85% — I can’t handle the creepy, insidious vibes with the addition of child sexual abuse/assault. Can’t do it!!!
Originally reviewed at The Book Adventures.
“Wolf winter,” she said, her voice small. “I wanted to ask about it. You know, what it is.”
He was silent for a long time. “It’s the kind of winter that will remind us we are mortal,” he said. “Mortal and alone” (p. 107).
Wolf Winter is a historical thriller set in 1717 Sweden and what a stylish read it is. Maija, her husband, and her two daughters, Frederika and Dorotea have moved to the Swedish Lapland from Finland, having traded properties with a family member. Soon after arriving, Frederika and Dorotea find a man dead near a marsh. The settlers want to believe that it was an animal attack but Maija is convinced that it was murder and sets out to prove her point, only to have the settlers tell her that there is something evil on the mountain.
Wolf Winter is a lyrical novel with a mystery at its heart. From the start, the author’s writing captures readers’ attention, immersing them into the harsh and claustrophobia winter that isolates Maija, her family, and the other settlers on the mountain. While the mystery is compelling, it is the writing that I found so engrossing with Wolf Winter. The imagery that the writer uses to describe the seasons is so wonderfully alive:
Late autumn this year had violence in her hair, angry crimson, orange, and yellow. The trees wrestled to free themselves of their cloaks, crumpled up their old leaves and threw them straight out into the strong wind rather than just let them fall to the ground. Dry leaves ran across the yard with the crackle of fire (p. 100).
Whenever the environment is described, whether it is the inevitable march of the seasons, or the coldness of a winter storm, there is such emotion imbued within the imagery. The weather in Wolf Winter became almost another person with its own anger and fear, heightening the suspense as it mirrors the sensations among the settlers. The symmetry of the weather and the emotion of the settlers was beautifully done, creating a highly atmospheric, almost otherworldly read. More of this writing, please!
In addition to the fantastic writing, the way that the mystery was related was also well done. The story is told through the eyes of Maija, her fourteen year old daughter, Frederika, and the village priest. The choice of three narrators was interesting in that it offers very different perspectives of the murder. Maija is intent on finding justice, but she wants there to be a simple, explainable resolution. Fredericka repudiates her mother’s logic because she knows that there is more at work; she sees and speaks to the dead man’s ghost. And the priest, well, he doesn’t event want to find justice, at first. These three perspectives demonstrate that there is something much more sinister and perhaps paranormal happening on the mountain. The sense that something strange is at work is palpable throughout Wolf Winter and that is very evident in Frederika’s narrative. Frederika obviously sees much of what others do not; there is a connection to the mountain that others will not understand and Maija struggles to protect her daughter from voicing her convictions. Unfortunately, in protecting her daughter Maija doesn’t protect herself and soon finds herself at the centre of suspicion with only the priest as her ally.
If you are a fan of stylish historical thrillers Wolf Winter will impress. The writing is lyrical and beautiful even as it describes the harsh realities of living in an isolated community. The suspense is heightened with the images employed by the author and readers are giving not only a satisfying mystery, but an exploration of the fears and superstitions that can drive a community to the brink. This is an author that I will be keeping my eye out for in the future.
People say that there is evil on Blackåsen. Perhaps in Maija and her husband, Paavo, had known that, they wouldn't have swapped homestead with their uncle and uprooted the family to travel from Finland to Swedish Lappland. But then, Maija has her own secrets that she wants to hide from. Cecilia Ekbäck's Wolf Winter is a dark story, set in a dark time. But Ekbäck's tale is also full of magic and justice. It's not all bleakness in the bleak winter of 1717...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
the start was so so good but it got pretty lame towards the end. felt so rushed.