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A Novel
by Tina Harnesk
Book Reviewed by:This lyrical runaway Swedish hit follows a reclusive, elderly couple who cross paths with a pair of twentysomething newcomers in a small mountain town, revealing an unexpected, shared history and the reclamation of a nearly extinct culture.
Meet Máriddja: eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She's determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she's gone.
Meet Kaj: a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated, something that will change his life for years to come.
A "brilliant debut" (Aftonbladet Söndag, Sweden) full of humor and heartbreak, The Secrets of Snow movingly grapples with grief, love, and the power of history.
Prologue
1
Tell me the story about the herder who met a háldi, Uncle!"
The boy's voice was bright and insistent, spilling across the floor like a handful of frostbitten lingonberries.
From where she was lying in the next room, Máriddja heard Biera slurp coffee through the lump of sugar between his teeth, followed by the sound of china on wood.
"Ah, you've heard that one plenty of times, but I'll tell it again," he replied with mock resignation.
His wife knew he loved to tell stories. He had inherited that from his parents, who had themselves inherited it from those who'd walked life's path before them. It was their way of remembering, a way for a people without words on paper to leave a mark on an Earth they did their best not to change.
More than anything, Biera loved telling stories to the boy, who was perched on the cushion atop the storage bench in the kitchen, eyes eager yet weary, spinning the birch bark sugar bowl on the table between them. Máriddja tugged at the pillow ...
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (5/7/2026)
...tory from the perspectives of Black brothers who enlisted in the US Army and a dual storyline of a Polish Jew named Daniel. I liked it. Also finished The Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk. This is about the Sami people of the Nordic countries. This one was a little inconsistent for me. The payoff was held back until the very end and th...
-Anne_Glasgow
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (4/30/2026)
.... A story of multiple generations of witches, family drama—it was doing a lot of things. Still reading Tom's Crossing. Just stared a new audio called The Secret of Snow by Tina Harnesk set in Sweden.
-Anne_Glasgow
Tina Harnesk imbues each character with complexity and charm, deftly switching between perspectives and showing you the truth of who someone is by their actions, rather than telling you what to believe...This is a novel that rewards paying attention: both for those kinds of character beats, as well as for twist-foreshadowing turns of phrase that an overzealous reviewer has to shy away from describing...continued
Full Review
(850 words)
(Reviewed by Margaret Belford).
Fredrik Backman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of My Friends
This is a story about culture and identity and about fighting to keep your memories while being robbed of your history, but it's written with a warmth and humor that never leaves the reader alone on the journey. When Swedes describe winters in the north we often talk about the incredible contrast between the compact dark from above and the snow reflecting all light from beneath. That's how her writing feels. Lisa Ridzén, author of When the Cranes Fly South
A must-read. Balancing humor and darkness with remarkable grace, this story and its characters found their way into my heart. To everyone who hasn't yet read it—congratulations, you have a wonderful reading experience ahead of you!
In Alice Menzies's translation of The Secret of the Snow into English, a few words remain italicized. These are not remnants from the Swedish edition of the novel, but Sámi terms with specific cultural context and meaning to the narrative. The most prominent of these untranslated terms is joik—a traditional Sámi form of song, similar in sound to chanting.
"That was when it came to him, the joik," Harnesk writes of Máriddja's beloved husband's experience joiking for a new baby in the family. "From the feeling that filled his chest as the little one lay against his bare skin. From springs in his soul he had never drunk from before… It encompassed all his longing, his love, and his family history. It was as ...
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