The fire crackles. The sky is alive. Tracks remain in the snow, and they are still waiting.
Twenty stories and sixty images of arctic Lapland – of its people, its nature, and the reindeer that keeps life going. Listen to the many voices of the north: Finnish, Finland's three endangered Sámi languages, and the joik, an age-old song. Feel the pulse of the reindeer roundup, the trace left by the patient hands of the duodji craftsman, the smoke of the campfire.
And taste: the roots of poronkäristys and lohikeitto – sautéed reindeer and salmon soup – and recipes that succeed in the home kitchen too.
Step into the blue heart of the polar night, into the blaze of the northern lights, and into the silence of the sauna – "the poor man's pharmacy." And dive into the story of how Santa Claus stepped into the footprints of Stállo – the dangerous giant of Sámi folklore – and turned fear into joy.
Written and illustrated on the Arctic Circle, beneath the flare of the northern lights, amid snow and ice. The perfect keepsake and gift: light to carry, made to be shared and opened again and again. Bring the magic of arctic Lapland into your living room, or give it to someone you love.