The Palace of the Snow Queen: Winter Travels in Lapland and Sápmi

An exploration of the winter wonders and entangled histories of Scandinavia’s northernmost landscapes—now back in print with a new afterword by the author After many years of travel in the Nordic countries—usually preferring to visit during the warmer months—Barbara Sjoholm found herself drawn to Lapland and Sápmi one winter just as mørketid, the dark time, set in. What ensued was a wide-ranging journey that eventually spanned three winters, captivatingly recounted in The Palace of the Snow Queen . From observing the annual construction of the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, to crossing the storied Finnmark Plateau in Norway, to attending a Sámi film festival in Finland, Sjoholm dives deep into the rich traditions and vibrant creative communities of the North. She writes of past travelers to Lapland and contemporary tourists in Sápmi, as well as of her encounters with Indigenous reindeer herders, activists, and change-makers. Her new afterword bears witness to the perseverance of the Sámi in the face of tourism, development, and climate change. Written with keen insight and humor, The Palace of the Snow Queen is a vivid account of Sjoholm’s adventures and a timely investigation of how ice and snow shape our imaginations and create a vision that continues to draw visitors to the North. Cover Page Also Published by the University of Minnesota Press Title Page Copyright Page Contents Author’s Note Part I. Early Winter 1. The Blue Hour 2. The Architecture of Snow and Ice 3. The Palace of the Snow Queen 4. How the Wild Reindeer Was Tamed 5. Traveling in the Dark 6. On the Finnmark Plateau 7. Santa’s Post Office 8. Brazilians at the Ice Cinema 9. Postcards from Lapland Part II. Mid Winter 10. Macbeth on Ice 11. Iron Mountain 12. A Day at the Reindeer Races 13. Winter Market Part III. Late Winter 14. Untouched Lapland 15. “As Long as We Have Waters” 16. The Architecture of Melting Ice Afterword Suggested Reading About the Author