The Palace of the Snow Queen

Winter Travels in Lapland and Sápmi BARBARA SJOHOLM

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

“A captivating homage to the frozen far North and the Sámi.”

—Booklist

“An enticing entrée for those in search of extreme weather in a scenic clime.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Sjoholm maintains a keen eye for observation, leaving romanticism behind, while still indulging in the swooning beauty of the far North.”

—Seattle Times

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 Ice Hotel 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 changemakers. 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.