The End of Drum-Time
An Epic, 'Transcendent' Love Story
by Hanna Pylväinen
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Pub Date Apr 04 2024 | Archive Date Apr 01 2024
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Description
A Must-Read Epic Love Story
'Transcendent' Publishers Weekly
'A triumph' Yiyun Li, author of Where Reasons End
'Audacious and thrilling epic' Marisa Silver, author of The Mysteries
'Extraordinary' Elliott Holt, author of You Are One of Them
At the edge of the arctic circle, things are changing quickly…
In 1851, at a remote village in the Scandinavian tundra, a Lutheran minister known as Mad Lasse tries in vain to convert the native Sámi reindeer herders to his faith. But when one of the most respected herders has a dramatic awakening and dedicates his life to the church, his impetuous son, Ivvár, is left to guard their diminishing herd alone. By chance, he meets Mad Lasse’s daughter Willa, and their blossoming infatuation grows into something that ultimately crosses borders―of cultures, of beliefs, and of political divides―as Willa follows the herders on their arduous annual migration north to the sea.
Gorgeously written and sweeping in scope, Hanna Pylväinen’s The End of Drum-Time immerses readers in a world lit by the northern lights, steeped in age-old rituals, and guided by passions that transcend place and time.
Shortlisted for the National Book Award
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hanna Pylväinen is the author of the novel We Sinners, which received a Whiting Award and a Balcones Fiction Prize. Her work has appeared in Harper’s Magazine, the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, Chicago Tribune, and the Wall Street Journal; she has taught at the University of Michigan, Princeton University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and is currently on the faculty at the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers. She lives in Philadelphia.
Advance Praise
‘One of the most unique voices in American literature, Hanna Pylväinen occupies a space shared by the Scandinavian writers Kerstin Ekman, Tove Jansson, and, beyond that, 19th century masters. The End of Drum-Time brings the readers to a recent past, a distant land, and proves that the complexity of human nature is as relevant and timeless as the ancient landscape. A triumph from the first page to the last!’ - Yiyun Li
‘The End of Drum-Time explores some of the most complex themes in literature in some of the most gorgeous prose imaginable. Hanna Pylväinen’s novel of cultural collision in the far north is an extraordinary feat of research and imagination by an author who reminds you with every page what fiction can accomplish’ - Anthony Marra, New York Times bestselling author of Mercury Pictures Present
‘The End of Drum-Time is a novel like no other. It is as much a historical epic as it is an intimate love story―as much a vast cultural record as it is a detailed study of a person's soul. It is infinitely rich and rewarding. In these pages, Hanna Pylväinen tells a story of love, faith, reindeer herding, and human failing. She has written a masterpiece’ - Julia Phillips, author of the National Book Award finalist Disappearing Earth
Available Editions
ISBN | 9781800754362 |
PRICE | £14.99 (GBP) |
PAGES | 368 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
The End of Drum-Time
XIX century, Lapland, the edge of the Arctic Circle. A charismatic Lutheran minister, Lars Levi, tries to convert indigenous Sami people to his religion. The Sami live a nomadic life following their reindeer herds through the northern Scandinavia. When Biettar, one of the most respected herders, decides to dedicate his life to the church, his son Ivvar is left alone with their herd. At the same time, Willa, Lars' daughter falls for Ivvar and runs away from her family home.
This was such an epic story. The writing style was exquisite. I was taken by description of dramatic landscapes and learning about Sami living simple life in almost inhabitable conditions. The author captured perfectly their daily struggles with forces of nature and cultural clashes with new settlers.
The core of the plot is Biettar awaking and Ivvars romantic relationship with Risten and Willa. It fascinating to see that although their lifestyle was so different from modern culture, human nature is just the same.
Small negatives - the book was a bit slow to start with, but once I got through the first part, I couldn't put it down. The story has an open end, which I didn't like. I really want to know what happens to them all.
I’ve been really drawn to Nordic stories recently, and this one was particularly fantastic because of how much Sami culture is resonant in its pages.
The writing was JUST gorgeous - it felt epic in scope but also intimate. There’s these bit, beautiful, impressive landscapes juxtaposed with the minutiae of daily life and intimate relationships.
This is a character driven story, rich in detail. The tension created between those who believe in the old way of life and those wanting something more was executed well, and before I knew it I was turning the pages fast because you could see something coming. But the melancholy comes just as much from knowing that a traditional way of life is changing, and culture will inevitably be lost.
I didn’t realise this was based on a real person until later, but that made me reflect on the story even more. It’s told with a lot of heart, and I was immersed. Thank you for this review copy, really beautiful work.
I have really enjoyed this historical novel, which focuses on a small community - in the Arctic circle, between Finland and Russia, where a Lutheran preacher is trying to convert the Sami population, a liquor merchant is trying to sell them alcohol, and the Sami herders are trying to cling to their identity while Russia and Finland decide to close the borders, making it impossible for them to move their reindeer herds. We follow a few characters closely - Ivvár, a young Sami reindeer herder, whose alcoholic father has a divine revelation and becomes religious; Willa, the daughter of the Lutheran pastor, who falls in love with Ivvár; Risten, who was previously in love with Ivvár, but has accepted to marry a better match, and Henrik, the liquor merchant who worries about the debts the Sami owe him.
It was well-written and dramatic, and covered a topic I know very little about but found really interesting. The characters felt really well-written and had enough depth, and the novel kept going further in terms of drama, until the end and the fate of the characters, which felt inevitable.
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