Books from Sweden

The Home of the Drowned tells the story of a Sámi family whose traditional way of life is threatened when a hydroelectric dam floods their ancestral settlement in northern Sweden. When thirteen-year-old Iŋgá, her mother Rávdná, and her aunt Ánne return to their summer village, they discover that their home and belongings have disappeared beneath the water. Spanning four decades, from 1942 to 1982, the novel follows three generations of Sámi women as they confront displacement, discrimination, and the gradual destruction of their cultural heritage. Rávdná refuses to accept the loss of her home and fights to rebuild what has been taken from her, while Iŋgá longs for the freedom to live like other young people. Their conflicting responses reveal the painful tension between preserving tradition and adapting to a changing world. Drawing on Sámi history and the consequences of colonial policies, Elin Anna Labba explores the profound connections between land, memory, identity, and belonging. The novel is a moving reflection on what makes a place a home and what happens when that home is taken away.